Amid much (obligatory) fanfare, Turkmenistan has intensified its spin campaign on TAPI, the long-delayed pipe dream of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov which is supposed to supply Afghanistan, Pakistan and India with Turkmen natural gas. Turkmenistan claims it is on the brink of securing the $8 billion it needs for the construction financing, stating it is a mere matter of several months until they attain that point and that negotiations have been proceeding with numerous counterparties. Yet the upbeat atmosphere of Turkmen authorities and the project company is in a heavy contrast to events unfolding against the background of a success story. This May works have started in the Afghan province of Kandahar on de-mining the supposed TAPI route to allow for its construction. Yet on May 21, Taliban fighters have killed six sappers who have just begun their difficult task. Even though Turkmen authorities continue to treat the incident as […]