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Taliban start building roadway for substantial Chinese copper mining task

Afghanistan's Taliban administration this week started building of a road to the remote site of a substantial copper mine that Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) confirmed it was preparing to start operating though it did not understand when.

The developments were among the clearest signals given that the Taliban took over in 2021 that both sides prepared to move ahead with the project after its launch has actually been bogged down by delays for over a years.

If it goes on, the project would be among the biggest in Afghanistan's history and the Taliban quote it would produce 3,000 direct tasks for Afghans and thousands more indirectly.

Afghanistan's vast mineral wealth has been trumpeted as a. path to economic self-reliance. But instability has consistently. hampered past projects, even under the previous Western-backed. government.

An MCC-led Chinese consortium secured a 30-year lease for. the mine with the Afghan government in 2008.

Taliban acting deputy prime minister Mullah Baradar at a. ceremony to introduce the road's building and construction on Wednesday said the. job was of important significance, according to a statement.

He highlighted: the urgency of starting practical work. without additional hold-up, given the substantial time already. lost.

China's ambassador and a technical group for MCC also. participated in the event in Mohammad Agha, the closest town in. eastern Logar province to the site, according to the declaration.

A representative for MCC's financier relations informed on. Thursday that they were uncertain when operations would begin however. that they did strategy to promote the mine to start operations.

An MCC source informed in 2021 that it could take five. to six years to construct facilities for mining there however the. task might not go anywhere while safety issues lingered.

China has actually signalled interest in mining financial investment in. Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and has talked to the Taliban about. its plans to join Beijing's Belt and Roadway Facilities plan.

Bogged down by banking limitations, Afghanistan has plunged into. recession because the Taliban took control of and no foreign. government has actually formally acknowledged their federal government.

The Taliban state they have actually concentrated on bring back security. after twenty years of war. However attacks, consisting of on foreign. targets and a hotel popular with Chinese businesspeople, have. been carried out by militant groups consisting of the Islamic State.

(source: Reuters)