President Ghani is paying the visit based on an invitation from his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.
A statement issued by presidential palace states the main purpose of Ghani’s two-day visit is to inaugurate the construction project. While he’s also expected to participate in the conference organized on neutral policies of international cooperation on peace, security and development in Ashgabat.
The $10 billion gas pipeline supported by the United States and the Asian Development Bank is designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually for a period of three decades to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The construction of the pipeline with a length of 1,735 kilometers (1,084 mile) is expected to complete by the end of December 2018 and last for 30 years.
According to the statement, President Ghani is accompanied by Eklil Hakimi, Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohammad Homayoun Qayumi, Senior Advisor to the president, Dawood Shah Saba, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Ali Ahmad Osmani, Minister of Energy and Water, Mohammad Homayoun Rasa, Minister of Trade, Asadullah Zameer, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mohammad Shaker Kargar, adviser for Central Asia and the governors of the provinces of Herat and Faryab.
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