Afghanistan can earn millions of dollars from the pipeline that will carry Turkmen natural gas to India, the country's oil minister, Daud Saba said on Friday.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency during his visit to Istanbul, Saba said Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project would strengthen the economic and political relations among the region.
'Afghanistan can make millions of dollars from this project, while 20,000 Afghans will be employed,' said Saba, and added that his country would also bolster its energy security and earn from gas transit fee.
The leaders of the four countries had gathered in Turkmen city of Mary on Dec. 19 to inaugurate the construction of the $10 billion project, which is planned to carry 33 billion cubic meters gas every year after being completed in 2019.
The pipeline will start from Turkmenistan's Galkynysh gas field, one of the largest in the world.
Saba also said Afghan forces can maintain the security of the Afghan part of the 1,800 km long pipeline despite the concerns over security issues in the country.
By Furkan Naci Top
Anadolu Agency
furkan.top@aa.com.tr