Afghan Girl Nila Ibrahimi Named Among UN’s 2025 Young Leaders

Amanov said construction of the Afghan segment is expected to finish by the end of next year, after which Turkmenistan will start exporting gas to Afghanistan. He also reported significant progress in negotiations with Pakistan on finalising key agreements necessary for implementing the project.

“These agreements are essential for ensuring investor confidence and protecting future investments,” Amanov said, adding that discussions are more than 90 percent complete.

The TAPI pipeline, designed to transport 33 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field, aims to boost regional energy integration. Turkmenistan completed its section of the pipeline in 2024 and is now focusing on facilitating the Afghan phase.

Construction of the 153-kilometre Serhetabat–Herat section inside Afghanistan began in September 2024. On 21 October, Turkmenistan’s national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov inaugurated a new phase of construction on Afghan soil during a visit to Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan to Export Up to 1.5 Billion Cubic Metres of Gas to Afghanistan

Separately, Maksat Babayev, chairman of Turkmengaz, said Turkmenistan will supply gas to Afghanistan through the TAPI pipeline, beginning with 500 million cubic metres per year, and later increasing to 1.5 billion cubic metres annually.

The Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Office confirmed that Berdimuhamedov inspected progress on the project during his visit, calling TAPI one of Turkmenistan’s top national priorities and underscoring the importance of completing it on schedule.

The TAPI project, first proposed in the 1990s, is seen as a strategic energy corridor linking Central and South Asia. Its success depends on security and cooperation among all four participating nations.

According to the embassy, Gharibabadi’s visit will focus on border cooperation, judicial matters, and water-related issues, as tensions between the two neighbours persist over the Helmand River dispute.

In recent years, Iran has repeatedly accused the Taliban of violating the 1973 Helmand River Treaty, alleging that Afghanistan has reduced Iran’s allocated share of water from the Helmand (Hirmand) River, a key source of irrigation for Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province.

Taliban officials have rejected the accusations, arguing that reduced rainfall and drought in Afghanistan have limited water flow to Iran. They maintain that no political restrictions have been imposed on Iran’s water share and that the flow depends on natural climatic conditions.

The visit comes amid broader efforts by Tehran and the Taliban to maintain dialogue despite periodic tensions over border security, trade, and water management. Iran remains one of the few countries to keep its embassy in Kabul operational since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Ministry spokesperson Abdul Matin Qane said Ghaznawi was introduced to local officials by Abdul Haq Mokhdom, the deputy minister for policy and strategy, during an official ceremony in the province.

Before his appointment, Ghaznawi served as deputy director for border inspections at the Taliban’s Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs and was also a member of the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing.

He replaces Mohammad Ayub Khalid, who has been appointed commander of the 215 Al-Azm Army Corps, one of the Taliban’s key regional military units.

The Taliban statement provided no details about Ghaznawi’s educational background or professional expertise, but he is known to be a veteran battlefield commander with long-standing ties to the group.

The initiative will draw on the financial, technical, and human resources of all three countries.

According to the ministry, Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada, the Taliban’s deputy minister of public works, held talks with Turkish and Iranian officials on the sidelines of the 36th Regional Assembly of Middle East Railways in Türkiye.

The discussions focused on the strategic importance of linking Afghanistan, Iran, and Türkiye by rail, with the goal of facilitating regional trade and goods transit.

Turkish officials reportedly said the joint effort could eventually connect Türkiye’s and Iran’s rail networks to China via Afghanistan, creating a major new corridor for regional connectivity.

The meeting also underscored that extending the Khaf–Herat railway line to Mazar-e-Sharif would provide one of the most efficient transit routes linking the Middle East and Europe to East Asia, potentially transforming Afghanistan into a vital hub for regional trade and logistics.

Photographs released by Baradar’s office showed Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy to Afghanistan, also attending the meeting.

According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the talks focused on the exploration, extraction, and development of gas pipelines in Afghanistan. The statement said Al-Taqi expressed his company’s interest in investing in the oil and gas industry and pledged to share Delta International’s technical expertise with Afghan engineers.

Delta International, based in Jeddah, is a Saudi energy firm active in oil and gas exploration. It has previously taken part in major regional projects, including Azerbaijan’s “Contract of the Century” and the Turkmenistan gas pipeline consortium.

Khalilzad, who has been in Kabul since 22 October, has held several informal meetings with Taliban officials, according to sources. Although he currently holds no official role in the US government, he has in recent months travelled to Kabul as part of unofficial delegations, including visits alongside Adam Boehler, the US special envoy for hostage affairs.