Tehran, Kabul eye ‘operational plan’ for joint mining investments
A senior official from the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced Iran an Afghanistan’s resolve to cooperate and invest in the mining sector.
"The determination of Iran and Afghanistan for joint investment in the mining sector is serious, and both sides are pursuing an operational plan," said Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IMIDRO, Mohammad Aqajanloo, as reported by IRNA.
During a meeting with Afghan Taliban officials on Wednesday, Aqajanloo said, "In a recent session, it was agreed to form two committees for developing Afghanistan’s mines: the ‘Exploration, Laboratory, and Extraction Committee’ (overseen by the Geological Survey and Mineral Explorations Organization) and the ‘Investment and Establishment of Joint Factories and Special Economic Zones Committee’ (overseen by IMIDRO)."
He stated that although numerous cooperation opportunities exist in the mining sector, "to operationalize this collaboration, we must commence projects with established infrastructure that can be implemented more rapidly."
The IMIDRO chairman emphasized that "processing at mines with established infrastructure is more cost-effective."
Noting the lack of transportation and energy infrastructure near Afghan mines, he proposed establishing “a border market for gemstones and building lead-zinc processing plants in free trade zones along the border."
He added that, "We can install gemstone processing equipment in Iran’s Dogharon Special Economic Zone (located at the zero point of the border with Afghanistan), train Afghan personnel, process Afghan gemstones into finished products, and sell them in the border market."
Aqajanloo pointed out that "Iran currently imports lead-zinc ore from abroad."
Given Afghanistan’s rich lead-zinc deposits, he stressed, "We propose establishing processing plants for these minerals at the Afghan border, utilizing Iran’s existing infrastructure and Afghan ore as feedstock."
The IMIDRO chairman further said, "Similar models can be designed for iron ore, aligning with the economic interests of both nations."
Investment guarantees in Afghanistan
Meanwhile, Khalil Rahman, the head of Afghanistan’s Investment Facilitation Unit, described the bilateral discussions over the past two days as "productive and promising,” adding, "We must operationalize the memorandum of understanding signed two years ago and leverage Iran’s expertise to develop Afghanistan’s mining sector."
"We require Iranian specialists’ collaboration to equip laboratories. Additionally, Iran’s public and private sectors have valuable experience in exploration, extraction, and processing," he added.
Rahman emphasized that, "Afghan laws guarantee foreign investors’ rights. Investors can repatriate their capital at any time. Security is the government’s responsibility, and we are prepared to provide separate guarantees if needed."
The Afghan official further proposed, "We aim to establish joint markets and factories in designated areas along the Afghanistan-Iran border."
Cooperation in geology, mining and Earth sciences
Also, Head of Iran’s Geological Survey and Mineral Explorations Organization Darioush Esmaeili underscored the need to "expand bilateral cooperation in geology, mining and Earth sciences" during a meeting with the Afghan delegation.
The parties also reviewed strategies to enhance scientific, educational, and technical exchanges. The Afghan delegation toured the organization’s specialized laboratories and Earth Sciences Museum, gaining insights into its technical and scientific capabilities.
Expressing satisfaction with Iranian experts’ proficiency and infrastructure, the delegation requested access to Iran’s geological resources. Key discussion points included, "training personnel, transferring technical knowledge, identifying Afghanistan’s geological potential, and utilizing advanced laboratory equipment."
The Afghan delegation, led by Hedayatullah Badri, the acting minister of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan, visited Iran for the talks.