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Kabul exploring mineral mining options
KABUL, Afghanistan, (UPI) -- Afghanistan is looking for Indian and Chinese investors to help develop giant mineral deposits in the country, officials said.
U.S. defense officials estimated earlier this month that there could be as much as $1 trillion worth of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium in Afghanistan's eastern province of Ghazni.
Subsequently, Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani met with his Indian counterpart B.K. Handique to discuss exploiting the mineral reserves, Indian newspaper The Hindu reports.
Shahrani during a recent meeting invited Indian investors to the region to develop the reserves. India, the newspaper said, has offered Afghanistan $1.3 billion in development aid.
The state-owned China Metallurgical Group, meanwhile, got a head start in 2008 with an offer to help develop copper resources in the country.
Kabul, for its part, said it was inviting investors to bid on developing iron ore mines in Bamyan province.
The New York Times cited an internal memo from the U.S. Defense Department that said Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium," which is a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and cell phones.
KABUL, Afghanistan, (UPI) -- Afghanistan is looking for Indian and Chinese investors to help develop giant mineral deposits in the country, officials said.
U.S. defense officials estimated earlier this month that there could be as much as $1 trillion worth of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium in Afghanistan's eastern province of Ghazni.
Subsequently, Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani met with his Indian counterpart B.K. Handique to discuss exploiting the mineral reserves, Indian newspaper The Hindu reports.
Shahrani during a recent meeting invited Indian investors to the region to develop the reserves. India, the newspaper said, has offered Afghanistan $1.3 billion in development aid.
The state-owned China Metallurgical Group, meanwhile, got a head start in 2008 with an offer to help develop copper resources in the country.
Kabul, for its part, said it was inviting investors to bid on developing iron ore mines in Bamyan province.
The New York Times cited an internal memo from the U.S. Defense Department that said Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium," which is a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and cell phones.
