Saturday, December 11th, 2010 VOA News South Asian leaders are forging ahead with plans to build a natural gas pipeline that would run through some of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan.
The leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan met in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat Saturday, along with India's petroleum and natural gas minister, to sign the deal.
The route for the so-called TAPI pipeline runs 1,700 kilometers from Turkmenistan's natural gas fields through southern Afghanistan, where coalition forces are locked in a long-running battle with Taliban insurgents.
The pipeline would then extend into Pakistan, before ending in India.
Officials say once constructed, the pipeline will transport more than 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year, generating jobs and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in transit fees for Kabul.
Despite security concerns, both the United States and the Asian Development Bank have voiced support for the project.
Experts believe Turkmenistan has the world's fourth largest supply of natural gas, but details on how and when the TAPI pipeline will be built remain scarce.
The Reuters news agency says construction of the pipeline alone could cost upwards of $3 billion.
During Saturday's signing ceremony, Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said the new pipeline would help bring prosperity and stability to the region.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also pledged his nation would do all it can to maintain security during and after construction.
Turkmenistan has been trying to expand natural gas exports and recently began operating a natural gas pipeline to China.
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