ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is visiting Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, on Thursday.
Prime Minister office said in a statement on Thursday that the visit is aimed to “participate in the ground-breaking (link-up) ceremonies of Turkmenistan- Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, lines of electricity transmission and fiber optics.”
The statement added that the ground-breaking ceremonies will be jointly attended by PM Abbasi, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Malikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Minister of State for External Affairs of India, M.J Akbar.
The first leg of the ceremony will be held in Serhetabat, Turkmenistan.
During his stay, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the Turkmen President and also attend an Arts & Culture exhibition showcasing cultural performances and artistic pieces from the four member countries, including Pakistan, followed by the link-up ceremony where he will make a statement, along with leaders of other member states.
“The Prime Minister will then proceed to Herat, Afghanistan on the same day to attend the Afghan leg of the groundbreaking ceremony,” Statement read.
Pakistani Prime Minister will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Afghan President after the groundbreaking.
Four-nation TAPI gas line project is seen as vital plan to help the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India to meet their energy needs.
PM Abbasi visits Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to attend TAPI groundbreaking ceremony
PM Abbasi visits Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to attend TAPI groundbreaking ceremony
US company eyes hydropower projects as Pakistan plans private-led power generation
- The power minister tells GE Vernova it can serve as a strong technical and investment partner
- He highlights reforms in the country’s power sector as Pakistan moves to a market-based model
ISLAMABAD: United States-based energy company GE Vernova on Monday expressed interest in expanding investment in Pakistan’s hydropower sector, an official statement said after a meeting between the company’s hydro division chief and the country’s power minister.
GE Vernova is GE’s dedicated energy company that focuses on power generation, grid technologies and renewable energy, including hydropower, wind and solar technologies, battery and energy storage systems, grid modernization and transmission solutions.
The meeting between the company’s hydropower chief, Frederic Ribieras, and the Pakistani minister, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, came as the country shifts toward a market-driven power sector in which private developers will lead future generation projects.
“Mr. Ribieras expressed interest in hydropower technologies,” the power ministry said in its statement. “The Minister supported this interest and said a list of potential investment projects can be shared with GE Vernova.”
Leghari told the GE Vernova official that the government wanted the private sector to take the lead in the sector and would not procure power in future.
He maintained the US company “can serve as a strong technical and investment partner.”
The minister said Pakistan was pursuing a least-cost energy strategy and had recently reached nearly 56 percent clean energy generation.
He highlighted transmission constraints and urged global investors to explore business-to-business opportunities, adding that the country needs battery-energy storage systems to support wind-power integration.
According to the statement, Ribieras proposed pumped-storage hydropower as an option, with the minister saying the government was open to reviewing all least-cost solutions.
He also highlighted the ongoing reforms, including the planned privatization of electricity distribution companies, and said GE Vernova’s expertise could support initiatives such as advanced metering infrastructure.
