Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmed Bahin told RFE/RL that the discussions with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov will also include transferring electricity from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and a gas-pipeline project.
"Building a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India through Afghanistan is one of the most important projects for us," Bahin said. "[The Afghan government] will make every effort for its implementation. According to the agreements we have reached in the past, we hope that practical steps will be taken in this regard."
The $2-billion project aims to transit gas from Turkmenistan's Dovletabad gas field.
Kabul is hoping the project will create 12,000 jobs for Afghans and eventually bring in $300 million in annual transit tariffs.
"The two presidents will release a joint statement about the outcome of their bilateral discussions," Bahin added.
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
