Ministers and officials from the governments of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan met recently to advance plans for a proposed $2- to $2.5-billion natural gas pipeline.

The previously announced 907-mi (1,459-km) line would carry gas from Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad-Donmez field across Afghanistan to markets in Multan, Pakistan.

The meetings produced no agreements over technical specifications. However, a feasibility study is scheduled for completion by September.

Japan also is discussing potential involvement in the project, which could help reduce its dependency on Persian Gulf resources. Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Seiken Sugiura said Tokyo is ready to look at possible forms of participation and cooperation in the project. Other Asian countries, including China and the Koreas, also were looking at Turkmenistan as a prospective partner.

To that end, the project received backing from the Asian Development Bank, which agreed to fund the feasibility study. Rajiv Kumar, chief economist at the bank, says the bank is trying to speed up the feasibility study and to carry out the project as quickly as possible.

The Turkmens are reportedly ready to finance the first 70 mi (113 km) of pipe, from Daulatabad to the Afghan border. From there, they hope to get international financing through the Asian Development Bank for the remaining 790 mi (1,271 km) through Afghanistan to Multan.

The ministers also remain committed to an extension to India, despite recent unrest between India and Pakistan. The proposed extension would run 360 mi (579 km) to the New Delhi industrial area. Juma Mahammadi, the Afghan minister for industry and mineral resources, suggested the Indian government has expressed readiness to buy gas from the pipeline.