Delegation from the Afghan Ministry of Mines Visits Washington

An official delegation led by H.E. Wahidullah Shahrani, Minister of Mines, visited Washington from February 29 until March 3 to discuss the future of Afghanistan’s mineral resources industry with American officials and private investors.

During their visit, the delegation met with officials from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The delegation participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) and Center for American Progress the prominent think tanks in Washington. Minister Shahrani, through various meetings and interviews with the media, expressed the potential of Afghanistan’s untapped mineral resources industry and encouraged private investment in the mining sector.

During a meeting, Minister Shahrani explained that, “There has been a tremendous amount of interest and activity in the Mining Sector in Afghanistan. U.S. Geological Survey data indicates that Afghanistan may hold unexplored mineral deposits worth as much as $1 trillion dollars. The government of Afghanistan has estimated the figure as high as $3 trillion dollars.”

The Government of Afghanistan looks forward to future cooperation between the U.S. Government and the Afghan Ministry of Mines. Furthermore, the Afghan Ministry of Mines is eager to continue its engagement with private sector investors in the U.S.