31 August 2023; MEMO: Domestic, Asian and European companies, Thursday, signed seven major mining contracts worth around $6.5 billion with the interim Taliban administration in Afghanistan, Anadolu Agency reports.
The contracts were signed in Kabul between the war-torn nation’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and private companies from Afghanistan, Turkiye, Iran and China, said the office of acting deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, who attended the signing ceremony.
According to the Taliban officials, the mines are located in Herat, Ghor, Loghar and Takhar provinces.
The contracts include extraction and processing of gold, copper, plumbum and iron mines.
“A total of $6.557 billion will be invested in these seven projects. This will create thousands of jobs and significantly improve the economic situation of the country,” said the statement.
This is the biggest deal signed by the Taliban since their return to rule in August 2021.
