(DND)
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India — TAPI gas pipeline project is still facing funding issues although the financial closure of this $10 billion project in scheduled before the end of this year. A United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report indicates that the traditional approaches to public-private partnerships may not fully cover the framework of this project.
TAPI project has deep geopolitical interests as it was launched as in 1995 to keep Iran and Russia away from energy markets of central Asia and South Asia. TAPI was introduced by NATO allies through international lenders as competitor to Iran Pakistan India (IPI) Gas Pipeline project but India withdrew from IPI in 2009 over the alleged pressures of United States while Pakistan avoided to announce its separation from IPI but halted the project for indefinite period due to perceivable pressures from United States although Iran completed its pipeline from pumping point to border of Pakistan.
