Neighbours trying to impede mining projects: Shahrani

KABUL’s economic revival.

“History shows that the enemies of Afghanistan have always tried to block fruitful projects and economic development of the country,” Shahrani told a news conference in Kabul.

Without naming the foes of Afghanistan’s economic recovery, he said the government — undeterred by threats — was taking steps to implement projects in a proper way.

He announced fuel extraction from the Amu River zone would start in late September, for the first time ever in a country battered by decades of conflict.

On December 28, 2011, Afghanistan and China signed their first-ever oil and gas deal. Under the major oil exploration agreement, the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will develop three oil fields along the Amu River in northern Sar-i-Pul and Faryab provinces.

Six oil and gas zones were recently identified in the energy-deficient country — Afghan-Tajik, Amu River, Koshk, Terpul in Herat, Katawaz and Helmand.

The Afghan-Tajik basin was found by a Canadian company. The area starts from Hindukush Mountains in the east to the Amu River in the west and to Albarz mountains of Balkh province in the south.

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