Afghanistan figures prominently in key energy projects aimed at regional cooperation and integration: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (TUTAP) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline are among such schemes. According to ADB, TUTAP used existing and planned assets in Afghanistan to connect Central Asia to Pakistan. Similarly, ADB added, the 1,600-km TAPI pipeline would export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India over a commercial operations period of 30 years. Although currently expected to exceed $10 billion, the total project cost will be determined upon completion of the detailed design and arrangements for the procurement of long-lead items, construction and other services. Pradeep Srivastava, principal economist with ADB's Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division, said that progress continued on the implementation of road and railway projects in Afghanistan along CAREC Corridors 3, 5, and 6 in the area of multimodal transport, the offici