News
Friday, April 20, 2012
Envoy sees potential in Pakistan-Turkmen ties* Turkmen ambassador says TAPI gas pipeline project will address critical energy issue in Pakistan
By Manzoor Qadir
ISLAMABAD: Turkmenistan Ambassador to Pakistan Sapar Berdiniyazov on Thursday said that there was a lot of potential in strengthening economic and between the two countries.
Speaking at a seminar titled ‘20th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between Pakistan and Turkmenistan’ on Thursday, the ambassador said both countries enjoyed excellent bilateral, social, cultural and economic relations and there was a dire need to further promote these relations.
The seminar was jointly organised by Society of Asian Civilisation of Pakistan and the Embassy of Turkmenistan.
The ambassador said that Turkmenistan and Pakistan were centres of the world’s earliest civilisations, adding that cultural relations between the two countries could be traced back to the pre-historic times. Turkmenistan is enduring, multi-dimensional and deep-rooted relationship with Pakistan, he said.
He recalled that diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992 and their bilateral relations had been growing steadily ever since. Pakistan, on realising financial needs of Turkmenistan during the first year of independence, provided economic assistance and this assistance helped the country to a great extent.
The ambassador said bilateral visits of the heads of states from the two sides strengthened brotherly relations between the two countries. Late president Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan visited Pakistan in March 1994 when he was the guest of honour on the occasion of golden jubilee celebrations of Pakistan Resolution. He also visited Pakistan on the occasion of the ECO Summit held in Islamabad on March 13, 1995.
The ambassador said the main economic aspect of Turkmenistan-Pakistan relations was based on realisation of the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI), gas pipeline project. The 1,735kilometre-long TAPI gas pipeline is expected to transport Turkmen natural gas in the volume of 30 billion cubic metres annually. The construction of this gas pipeline will address the critical energy issue. “And what is more important is that it would enhance political stability in the region,” he said.
He said Turkmenistan had offered 1,000-megawatt electricity to Pakistan that could reduce ongoing burden of load shedding in Pakistan.
In his address at the seminar, Ambassador Oybek Arif Usman of Uzbekistan stressed the need for promoting atmosphere of peace and security in the ECO region to ensure development and progress of all the regional countries. He underlined the importance of close and cooperative relations between Pakistan and Central Asian countries. He spoke at length about exceptionally cordial relations that exist between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
In his address, former ambassador of Pakistan to Turkmenistan, Osman Hyder, reviewed prospects and possibilities of closer cooperation between the two countries in the backdrop of the proposed TAPI gas pipeline project.
Tabani Group of Industries Executive Director Gaziani, Prof Dr Sarfraz Ahmad, Dr Saifur Rehman, Prof ZA Qureshi, Yar Mohammad Badini and Dr Abdul Basit also spoke at the seminar. Ambassador Berdiniyazov distributed shields among the speakers at the conclusion of the seminar.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk