The US believes that a massive pipeline project, signed by regional countries this week on supplying gas from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and all the way to India, is a perfect example of energy diversification and economic integration, the State Department has said.
The remarks came as the US continues to persuade regional countries away from dependence on Iranian gas and oil resources. The State Department opposed the idea of Iranian gas pipeline into Pakistan, calling Tehran an “unreliable” energy partner. “This is a perfect example of energy diversification, energy integration, done right. We are very strong supporters of the TAPI pipeline. We congratulate the countries that signed it,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. The spokesperson remarked that multi-billion project was in line with Washington’s New Silk Road concept. “We consider it a very positive step forward and sort of a key example of what we’re seeking with our New Silk Road Initiative, which aims at regional integration to lift all boats and create prosperity across the region,” she said.
Nuland said she was not aware of the US commercial involvement in the project at the moment. “We have offered to be supportive. I frankly don’t know whether we have commercial involvement in this. But we have been supportive politically, and we stand by to be supportive in other ways if asked,” she said.
On the Iranian gas pipeline, she said that the project involved an “unreliable” partner who “is not complying with its international obligations”.
“And we’ve been very clear about how we feel and how the international community feels about those kinds of investments. In this case – the case of the TAPI pipeline – you’ve got private sector investment, you’ve got new transit routes, you’ve got people-to-people links, you’ve got increased trade across a region that historically has not been well-linked or there have been historic antipathies which are now being broken down by this positive investment project that’s going to give jobs, it’s going to give more energy, it’s going to give more technology to the people of all of these countries,” she said, explaining Washington’s preference for TAPI over Iranian gas pipeline.
“If Iran wants to come back into compliance with its international obligations, the whole picture’s going to look different in terms of the way we feel about investments,” she added.
