On 15 March, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Afghanistan, Mawlawi Attaullah Omari, held negotiations in Kabul with the Executive Director of the ‘TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd.’ consortium Muhammetmyrat Amanov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Hoja Ovezov. This was reported by the news agency Orient.

The main topic of discussion was the procedure for the expropriation and lease of land plots along the future pipeline route. The Afghan side is developing a tariff system for the purchase or lease of private and state-owned land.

The Head of the consortium called for the land registration process to be expedited so as not to disrupt the construction schedule. Meanwhile, a technical delegation from the land authority is working in Herat province, where route marking is underway.

The minister confirmed that TAPI remains a strategic project for the country’s economy. His department will be responsible for land valuation, monitoring property rights and ensuring the legality of compensation.