Turkmenistan used a UN Security Council briefing on Afghanistan to argue that lasting stability will depend not only on security measures but also on economic recovery, infrastructure development, and sustained regional cooperation.
According to Turkmenistan’s delegation, Ashgabat — as Afghanistan’s immediate neighbor — has a direct interest in the country’s stabilization and the creation of conditions for long-term peace. The delegation emphasized that large-scale economic and infrastructure projects should become practical instruments for reconstruction and integration.
Projects highlighted by Turkmenistan
- Progress on the TAPI gas pipeline (Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India), which Turkmenistan presents as a strategic regional energy and transit initiative.
- Development of the TAP power transmission project intended to strengthen electricity connectivity and supply.
- Expansion of railway links and transport corridors connecting Central and South Asia through Afghanistan.
Turkmen officials argued that such projects would generate employment, transit revenues, and broader economic activity inside Afghanistan while also improving regional connectivity. The delegation framed economic engagement as a complement to political and security efforts rather than a substitute for them.
Call for continued international dialogue
The Turkmen delegation also reiterated support for continued international dialogue on Afghanistan, specifically pointing to the Doha process as an important diplomatic framework.
Turkmen diplomats called for what they described as balanced, pragmatic, and forward-looking approaches from the international community, with the ultimate objective of stability, sustainable development, and improved living conditions for the Afghan people and the wider region.
Broader context from Turkmenistan’s UN diplomacy
The Security Council intervention is consistent with Turkmenistan’s broader messaging in recent UN engagements. In statements delivered during high-level UN discussions in New York, Turkmenistan’s leadership has repeatedly linked peace to development, regional connectivity, energy cooperation, and transport infrastructure, arguing that durable security in Afghanistan requires functioning economic links with neighboring states and access to regional markets.
Turkmenistan has also continued to promote the TAPI pipeline and related transport and power projects in its bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, presenting them as flagship initiatives capable of tying Afghanistan more closely into regional economic networks. /// nCa, 10 June 2026