Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India launch major gas pipeline

Mary, Turkmenistan

LEADERS of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India broke ground on Sunday at a ceremony in the Turkmen desert on a major pipeline that could help ease energy deficits in South Asia.

Presidents Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan and Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan were on hand for the ceremony outside the city of Mary in the Karakum Desert, marking the beginning of work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) link.