KABUL: The two powerful countries in the region, Russia and China, are in talks with the Taliban government to invest in Afghanistan’s untapped oil and gas sector.
The latest example of such cooperation is the recent visit of investors from these two major countries to Afghanistan.
A few days ago, a delegation of Russian investors visited Kabul and met with Taliban officials while expressing their desire to invest in various sectors in Afghanistan.
Last week Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of Taliban, emphasised the availability of improved opportunities for investment across various sectors in the country.
According to a statement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the meeting focused on enhancing trade and investment partnerships. During the meeting, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund underlined Afghanistan’s abundant natural resources and its conducive environment for investment.
The Russian delegation expressed their keen interest in investing in Afghanistan, particularly in oil and gas, transport, railways, healthcare, and agriculture.
They also conveyed their readiness to share expertise and work collaboratively with Taliban to achieve mutual benefits.
Russia has also expressed interest in investing in former Soviet projects in Afghanistan. These projects show that Russia is willing to expand its ties with the Taliban as both an economic partner and a geopolitical ally.
Meanwhile, Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) the official state news agency of the Afghan government, has reported that a Chinese company has started drilling 18 oil wells in the Amu River basin.
These operations are being carried out by “Afchin Company,” a Chinese company. It is pertinent to mention that 500 barrels of oil are currently being extracted daily from the 23 operational wells, and the new wells are expected to significantly increase output.
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Afchin Public Relations Officer Amruddin Alizi has said that these new wells are located in the provinces of Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pul and Faryab. He claimed that the drilling of these wells will be completed in 2025.
It should be noted that oil extracted from the Amu Darya basin is refined within Afghanistan. About 12 companies are active in the oil refining sector in Afghanistan.
After the Taliban returned to power, China also increased its trade with Afghanistan and in this regard, it resumed freight train traffic with the country via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. China wants Afghanistan to be part of its ‘Belt and Road’ initiative.
Over the past three years, the extraction of Afghanistan’s mines and underground resources has grown at an unprecedented rate.
As international aid to Afghanistan has decreased since the Taliban takeover in 2021, the Taliban government has paid great attention to the acquisition of the country’s natural resources while seeking foreign investment in important sectors.
Afghanistan is a country rich in oil and gas, minerals and vast natural resources. However, due to the wars of the last four decades, these resources have not been explored.
The country has numerous mineral deposits, including copper, marble, gold, oil, natural gas, uranium, and lithium, valued by the previous government at between $1 trillion and $3 trillion.
