It would bring economic
progress and prosperity for the peoples and also enhance regional
cooperation.
From SHAMIM AHMED
RIZVI
Islamabad
June 10 - 16, 2002
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have signed a
two billion dollars agreement to construct a gas pipeline from
Daulatabad field in Turkenistan to Gwadar in Pakistan through
Afghanistan. The agreement was signed by President General Pervez
Musharraf, Chairman Afghan interim administration Hamid Karzai and
Turkmenistan President Supermurat Niyazov at a ceremony in Islamabad
last Thursday.
Latter addressing a joint news conference along with
Chairman interim administration of Afghanistan and President of
Turkmenistan, President General Pervez Musharraf said that on
completion, the project would provide the shortest route for the export
of hydro-carbon resources from Central Asian States to Far East, Japan
and West besides benefiting the countries themselves that is Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. General Pervez Musharraf said an LNG plant
would be constructed at Gwadar for the conversion of gas and its export.
He said with the gradual return of peace and normalcy
in Afghanistan, they were confident that this mega project would be
realised in the near future. It would bring economic progress and
prosperity for the peoples and also enhance regional cooperation.
Construction of road and rail links from Central Asia to Afghanistan and
Pakistan would also open immense opportunities and increase people to
people contact and boost economic activities. These links would enable
Central Asia to reach warm waters. The air services between Islamabad
and Kabul had already started and he hoped to re-establish air links
with Turkmenistan and other Central Asian States shortly. The President
said trade and economic cooperation between the three countries came
under discussion and they were unanimously of the view that the existing
volume of trade that the existing volume of trade was far below the
potential. It was decided to take steps for promotion of trade
activities. He said they decided to form three working groups, each
dealing with gas pipeline, road and rail links and trade and economic
links.
General Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan stands by its
support to Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. This commitment was
given by the President who was asked if Pakistan would allow Iranian gas
pipeline to India via Pakistan in the changed circumstances. The
President said that the country was already committed to it and any
other gas pipeline. "We would accept the pipeline to pass through
the country." It was also to our advantage, he said adding that the
country's stand on the issue remained unchanged.
The Chairman of Afghan interim administration Hamid
Karzai said stability in his country was very satisfactory. He said
there was peace all over the country, transport was moving all over. The
President of Turkmenistan Safarmurad Niazov said the total length of the
gas pipeline would be 1500 kilometers. He said his country had gas
reserves of twenty-three trillion cubic feet.
This landmark project augurs well for development of
an economically backward region of the world. Construction of gas
pipeline along with required infrastructure i.e roads and rail link in
three countries will no doubt take the economic and trade cooperation
among them to new heights. With this kind of cooperation in view,
Pakistan has been trying its best to create conditions conducive to
bolster its ties with the Central Asian Republics However, Pakistan's
desire to enter into a deeper relationship with emerging economies of
the Central Asia could not succeed because of volatile situation in
Afghanistan which provides a viable link between Pakistan and that
region.
This gas pipeline project too was visualised over a
decade back and some progress made towards its initiation but the
understanding reach for the purpose and several exchange of visits
proved futile exercise because of instability in Afghanistan. In the
absence of a stable Government in Afghanistan, there was no guarantee of
security of this important pipeline involving investment of billions of
dollars. Now with American forces firmly placed in Afghanistan at the
charge of security related issues, the forces behind the project have
found it an opportune time to reactivate it. Anyhow as the project has
the potential to give tremendous boost to the economy of the three
countries, signing of an agreement that provides a framework for
proceeding further is a welcome development. Its construction and
establishment of a LNG plant at Gwadar to liquefy the natural gas from
Turkmenistan for onward export to Middle East and Far East are going to
play a vital role not only in bringing the three countries closer
through mutually beneficial cooperation but enhanced economic and trade
activities would provide employment opportunities to thousands of
people.
There are, however, some questions agitating the
mind. There are no clear indication as to who is going to fund this huge
project which seems to be beyond the funding capacity of the three
countries signing the agreement. Last time, a big consortium led by an
American firm was formed but this time no such arrangement seems to be
in place as yet. May the forces behind the project were waiting for the
accord to be initialed first. Secondly, what would be its impact on the
future of Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline the feasibility of which is also
being carried out with Iran pushing hard for its implementation. Though,
for obvious reason, Americans have more interest in Turkmenistan
pipeline but Iranian pipeline too has immense benefits for Pakistan and
work on that should also be pursued despite so-called apprehensions by
experts that only one north-south pipeline was economically viable.
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