During his three-day visit, Mr Berdimuhamedov will meet with Indian President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The $US3.2 billion TAPI project includes the construction of an approximately 1,700 km pipeline, which will run from Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad-Donmez gas fields, through Afghanistan and Pakistan, and terminate in India.
The pipeline will have a gas transmission capacity of 100 MMcm/d and, according to preliminary data, approximately 60 per cent of this gas will be exported to India.
In addition, Mr Berdimuhamedov granted authorisation for construction of the 1,000 km East-West pipeline to begin in June 2010.
“The new gas pipeline will connect the eastern region of the country, where the largest natural gas reserves are concentrated, with the rapidly developing central and Caspian region of Turkmenistan,” said Mr Berdimuhamedov.
With a planned capacity of 30 Bcm/a, the East-West pipeline will be financed by Turkmengaz state concern. Commissioning of the pipeline is expected in June 2015.