KABUL, 01 November 2021, (TON): Mullah Muhammad Yaqub, the acting Taliban defence minister in the interim Afghanistan administration, said on Saturday that he has taken direct charge of security for the multi-billion dollar TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India) gas pipeline project.

Yaqub, the son of the Taliban's founding leader, Mullah Omar, made the comment following a meeting with Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, who arrived in Kabul in the morning for talks on the project and bilateral relations with Afghanistan.

Yaqoob tweeted after meeting with Turkmenistan’s top diplomat at the presidential palace in the capital “I am directly responsible for and overseeing the security of the TAPI project. We will not hesitate to make any sacrifices for the implementation of this national project.”

The visiting Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan also met with Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, acting prime minister of the Taliban’s interim administration at his office.

Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesperson and deputy minister for information and culture said “during the meeting, both sides discussed bolstering relations, economic, trade, security, and humanitarian assistance.”

In 2018, Afghanistan hosted top officials from Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and India for the groundbreaking ceremony of the TAPI project, which will also connect the four countries with roads, railways, and fiber optics.