The second largest copper mine in the world has been inaugurated in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
After 16 years of war-related delays, the groundbreaking ceremony of the world's second largest copper mine, located between China and Afghanistan, was held on Wednesday. State-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) has begun construction of a 25 km road to the Mes Aynak copper mine, one of the largest intact copper deposits in central Afghanistan's Logar province. According to TOLOnews , Zhao Xing, China's ambassador to Kabul, told Taliban officials present that the construction of the road represents "a significant step." Zhao added that China is coordinating with the United Nations and other countries to ensure stability and progress for Afghanistan.
opening ceremony, from TOLOnews
Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban deputy prime minister for economic affairs, assured that the safety of investors and workers in the country will be guaranteed.
Like most countries, China has not formally recognized the Taliban, but last September it was the first to appoint a new ambassador to Afghanistan. Four months later, Bilal Karimi, a former Taliban spokesman, became the country's envoy to Beijing. China has hosted senior Taliban officials, including Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi, while officials from state-owned companies frequently visit the Taliban embassy in Beijing.
Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghanistan Studies Center at Lanzhou University, said the project "has a long way to go before actual construction begins." He highlighted that the lack of infrastructure such as electricity and water, coupled with the uncertain investment environment, pose significant challenges.
Chinese technicians in Afghanistan TOLOnews
However, the project is of great importance to the Taliban government, which is desperately seeking foreign investment to revive the war-ravaged economy. Zhu added that the Afghan government hopes the mining project will attract further foreign investment, while for China the project is primarily a commercial activity.
In 2007, MCC was awarded 30-year rights to develop Mes Aynak, considered a successful attempt to “alleviate China's copper resource shortage, increase strategic reserves and strengthen China's influence in the international mining industry ”. The $4.2 billion investment deal signed in 2018 includes the construction of a power plant, a water pumping station and other public facilities such as schools, hospitals, mosques and homes.
The project was expected to create 10,000 jobs and generate annual output of $1.2 billion, equivalent to about half of Afghanistan's GDP at the time. However, it faced delays due to security concerns and disputes between MCC and the previous US-backed Afghan government.
Zhu said volatility in global copper prices and concerns about cultural heritage increase uncertainty about the project. Archaeologists fear the project could damage an ancient settlement with more than 400 Buddha images, stupas and monasteries.
Buddhist remains at Mes Ayak, National Geographic
At Wednesday's ceremony, Li Qun, China's vice minister of culture, said the Mes Aynak area "has special value for tourism, handicrafts, cultural development and the ancient Silk Road." He added that cultural cooperation between Afghanistan and China can improve global culture and strengthen relations between the two countries.
With this mine, China is able to secure an important supply of a metal necessary for the energy transition practically exclusively, even if security remains a problem that has not been completely resolved.
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The article The second largest copper mine in the world inaugurated in Taliban Afghanistan comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/inaugurata-la-seconda-piu-grande-miniera-di-rame-al-mondo-nellafghanistan-dei-talebani/ on Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:23:00 +0000.