Taliban’s Minister of Energy Asks Chinese Firm to Accelerate Aynak Mine Extraction Process

The Taliban's Minister of Energy and Water Abdul Latif Mansour during a meeting with officials of the Mes Aynak Contracting Company (MCC) asked them to speed up the extraction process of this mine.

Abdul Latif Mansour said that the Mes Aynak mine is an important national project and the hope of the Afghan people.

The Taliban's Ministry of Energy and Water wrote in a statement on Friday that Abdul Latif Mansour met with officials of the company during his visit to China.

According to the ministry, the officials of this Chinese company have raised the issues of water and electricity of the Aynak copper project with Abdul Latif Mansour. According to the ministry, Mansour has assured the company that the water and electricity problems of the project will be resolved.

The Taliban's Minister of Energy and Water travelled to China on Wednesday along with a delegation of the group.

The Aynak copper mine is the second largest copper deposit in the world, and the extraction of this mine is considered a major and strategic project for Afghanistan from an economic and political point of view.

In 2008, the contract for the extraction of Aynak copper was signed with the Chinese company "MCC" for 30 years, but due to security issues and the prolongation of archaeological excavations in this area, the mining work was delayed.

Over the past three years, the Taliban has repeatedly asked the Chinese company to start the mining process.