ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Turkmenistan are set to engage in talks in a bid to take a giant leap forward in executing the US-backed transnational pipeline project that will connect four countries in Central and South Asia, according to local media sources.
Under the project called Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (Tapi) gas pipeline, Ashgabat and French energy major Total have signed a memorandum of understanding for a service contract for gas extraction in the Central Asian state, say officials aware of the development, sources added.
Talks with Chinese and Russian companies are also under way in order to select a consortium leader, which will finance and implement the $10-billion pipeline project, claimed sources.