The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan said that Kazakhstani diplomats met with Hedayatullah Badri, the acting minister, to discuss investment in Afghanistan’s mining sector.
Homayoun Afghan, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, stated: “During this meeting, bilateral relations and investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s mining sector were discussed and exchanged. The Kazakhstani diplomats expressed the interest of their country’s businessmen in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector and added that several technical teams from Kazakhstan are scheduled to visit Afghanistan in April to gather more information about the mines.”
On the other hand, some economic experts believe that foreign businessmen’s investment in various mines of Afghanistan, including oil and gas, can play a significant role in job creation and economic development.
“We need the cooperation and investment of foreign partners, industrialists, and international businessmen to work alongside Afghan industrialists and traders. This collaboration can help us identify, research, and determine the exact locations of Afghanistan’s untapped oil and gas resources. Then, with the assistance of foreign partners, we can extract and utilize these resources in a standard manner,” stated Najibullah Siddiqi, an economic expert.
“Afghanistan is one of the countries rich in minerals and natural resources. If these resources are extracted and processed in a standardized manner, they can have a positive impact on the country’s economic growth,” said another economic expert, Abdul Zahoor Madber.
According to statistics, Afghanistan currently supplies only 10% of its oil needs from the Qashqari fields, while the remaining demand is met through imports from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia.