Russia: No plan to exploit Afghanistan’s natural resources

KABUL (Pajhwok): Moscow has no plan to exploit Afghanistan’s bountiful natural resources, Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov says.

In an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel, the diplomat said: “The country has them [natural resources], thank God.”

He hoped the enormous natural wealth would be used for the benefit of the Afghan people and the state in general.

“We have no plans of [using] them. We are ready to participate in a whole range of projects, mostly on the commercial basis,” the envoy assured.

Kabulov added:  “Whenever we are invited, and our companies and state agencies are interested.

“We are ready to participate, but only in this form. We have no far-reaching plans of gaining a firm foothold in the country, and maintaining our presence there.”

Several other countries had their own interests in Afghanistan, he said, citing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

In this regard, the diplomat also referred to regional railway and power supply infrastructure projects.

PAN Monitor/mud