ENERGY ALLIANCE//The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI), also known as Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. Construction on the project started in Turkmenistan on December 13, 2015. The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2019. The project aims to export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year through a proposed approximately 1,800km pipeline from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is acting as the facilitator and coordinator for the project. The ground-breaking ceremony of 1,800-km project was held at the ancient city of Mary of Turkmenistan recently. The function was attended by Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Vice President Mohd Hamid Ansari. Turkmenistan is believed to have the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves and exports it mainly to China.