The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said last month that despite security concerns, they hope the long-awaited $10 billion TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India) natural gas pipeline will be completed in the next five years. "All four member countries have established a project company by contributing initial money of $200 million, which will pave the way for construction of 800-km pipeline," said ADB's Director General for Central and West Asia Department Sean M. O'Sullivan. In another bid to connect the energy-rich country with energy-deficient countries in the region, the ADB is working on a transmission line from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, which will then be connected with Pakistan under the TAP project for which the ADB will finance $600 million. O'Sullivan said even Afghanistan paid its equity share for establishing the project company for the TAPI gas pipeline. The major challenge will be ensuring regional security which will need to be resolved if international oil companies are to come in.
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