Afghanistan signs oil extraction deal with Chinese company

The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan signed a contract with a Chinese company to extract oil from Afghanistan's Amu Darya basin, according to reports by TOLONews.

The agreement was signed in Kabul on January 5 in the presence of Taliban officials and Chinese ambassador Wang Yi.

Afghanistan’s acting mines and petroleum minister Shahabuddin Delawar, said the first three years will be exploratory and that in this period more than $540 million will be invested, reported TOLONews.

Delawar said that if the company failed to fulfil the pledged principled, the contract will be cancelled.

According to the contract, the Chinese firm will invest up to USD 150 million a year, which will increase to USD 540 million in three years. “The project directly provides job opportunities for 3,000 Afghans,” CNN quoted the statement as saying.

The contract is due for 25 years, as per TOLONews report.

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