Taliban Says Foreign Firms Show Interest in Investing in Afghanistan
The Taliban administration has said that foreign companies are interested in investing in Afghanistan.
It said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy economic prime minister, met with Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special envoy for Afghanistan, and discussed the regional situation and investment by foreign companies in Afghanistan.
According to the Taliban administration, the meeting also covered what it described as “progress” in governance and infrastructure. The administration did not provide independent or verifiable details to support these claims.
According to a Taliban news release, Khalilzad said a number of companies from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Norway are interested in investing in various sectors in Afghanistan. He said part of this interest is related to oil and gas exploration and extraction.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban administration’s deputy economic prime minister, welcomed the companies’ interest and said the administration has provided facilities for investors and is ready to cooperate. However, the news release did not provide details on the timing, the level of the companies’ commitment, or any possible specific agreement.
Zalmay Khalilzad is a well-known figure in Afghanistan affairs and a former US special envoy for Afghan peace. In recent years, he played a prominent role in US talks with the Taliban administration.
