Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Serik Zhumangarin, and Afghanistan’s Minister of Oil and Mines, Shahabuddin Delavar, agreed to discuss the prospects for collaboration in the fields of geological exploration and mining. The meeting, which included representatives from domestic companies ERG Exploration and Kazakhmys Barlau, highlighted the potential for mutual benefit in leveraging the rich mineral resources of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan boasts vast reserves of oil, natural gas, coal, iron, non-ferrous ore, and rare earth metals, making it a promising destination for investment in the mining sector. Recognizing this potential, Kazakhstan, with its significant reserves of oil, gas, and solid minerals, has developed a professional pool of oil service and production companies over the years. These companies are well-equipped to compete with foreign suppliers in various areas, including construction, well workover, laboratory research, and engineering.
The meeting highlighted Kazakhstan’s increasing private investment in geological exploration, particularly in solid minerals. Over the past five years, investments in this sector have emerged 2.5 times, from 33.9 bn tenge ($77 mn) in 2018 to 82 bn tenge ($186 mn) in 2023.
To facilitate joint projects and their implementation, both parties agreed to establish a technical committee comprising specialists from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. At the outset, the Afghan side will provide maps delineating promising deposits and relevant studies to their Kazakh counterparts.
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