Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov in an address to the UN General Assembly emphasized that regional security efforts must focus on Afghanistan.
Meredov pointed to several infrastructure projects spearheaded by Turkmenistan, in collaboration with international partners, as key to stabilizing the region and aiding Afghanistan’s reconstruction.
“In the regional dimension, the most important aspect of ensuring security is the Afghanistan direction, as well as supporting the Afghan people in their efforts to begin peaceful, constructive work to rebuild their economy and social systems, and to address humanitarian challenges,” Meredov said.
One of the major regional initiatives he cited was the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, a long-anticipated project aimed at transporting natural gas across the region. He noted that a new phase of construction on Afghan territory began two weeks ago, signaling progress in the effort to integrate Afghanistan into regional energy networks.
Meredov also highlighted the ongoing construction of power transmission and fiber optic communication lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan corridor, as well as the development of a new railway connecting Turkmenistan with Afghanistan.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, noting that these infrastructure projects are part of a broader effort to support the country’s recovery.
While the TAPI pipeline and other regional projects were initiated many years ago, their implementation has been delayed by various obstacles. However, the resumption of these initiatives signals renewed efforts to bring economic development and stability to the region.
