(Image source from: TAPI Gas Pipeline welding begins in Mary})

Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani embarked on the beginning of $7.6-billion TAPI pipeline project.  They pressed a button to begin the welding process of the TAPI Gas Pipeline.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the 1800-kilometre TAPI gas pipeline took place in the ancient city of Mary, which is 311 km away from the capital Ashgabat.  After pressing to button to begin the welding process, the leaders signed the pipe and a document put in a capsule. It was placed under the ground.

Berdimuhamedow said at the ceremony held in the Turkmen desert that, hopefully the project becomes operational by December 2019.

Today, we were participants and witnesses of a historic event. Today marks the start of a project of great scale. TAPI is designed to become a... powerful driver of economic and social stability in the Asian region," Berdimuhamedow added.

The capacity of the TAPI pipeline will be 90 million standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) gas for a period of 30 years. India and Pakistan will each get 38 mmscmd, while Afghanistan will get the remaining 14 mmscmd.

"In doing so, we must recognise that the forces of violence and disruption can no longer be allowed to threaten the quest for economic development and security of our people.

I am confident that with the active engagement of all four governments, and the support of our international partners, we can overcome such challenges," Ansari added.

-Sumana