Yahoo.news
The Indian government has approved a deal to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan via a $7.6 billion pipeline passing throughAfghanistan and Pakistan, reports said on Thursday.
The cabinet approved the signing of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement as well as the payment of a transit fee to Afghanistan and Pakistan for allowing the pipeline to pass through their territory, the Press Trust of India reported.
The 1,735-kilometre (1,078-mile) pipeline is likely to be operational by 2016, the news agency said, quoting a government official.
Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves and energy-hungry India and Pakistan are both eager to tap this source.
Categories: Asia, India, Trade, Turkmenistan