Shahabuddin Delawar, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, visited the Mes Aynak copper mine area on Wednesday during a trip to Logar province.

According to the ministry, Delawar was accompanied by Khairullah Khairkhaw, Acting Minister of Information and Culture; Zhao Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Kabul; Ziaul Rahman Madani, Governor of Logar; and the deputy minister of energy and water.

The ministry said Delawar and his accompanying delegation visited various areas of Mes Aynak copper mine and Mes Aynak archaeological sites to evaluate progress of work being done on the mine.

Officials of MCC, the company with the contract to mine the copper, also provided an update on work being carried out including an update on the road that will soon be built.

“Most of the problems of the project have been solved and we are ready to start the practical work of the project, and with the practical start of the [Mes] Aynak copper mine project, there will be no damage to the ancient monuments in the area.”

The Acting Minister of Information and Culture also discussed the need to preserve and protect relics at the archeological site and assured the delegation of the ministry’s cooperation.

The deputy minister of energy and water also assured all present of a consistent supply of electricity and water for the mine.

Mes Aynak is the location of Afghanistan’s largest copper deposit, however it also contains artifacts recovered from the Bronze Age, and some of the artifacts recovered have dated back over 3000 years.

The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says that the process of transferring Hajj pilgrims from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia has started.

According to the ministry, about 230 Hajj pilgrims left on Wednesday, May 8, on the first flight to Medina.

The acting minister Noor Mohammad Saqib, said at a departure ceremony for the Afghan pilgrims that this year, in order to provide better services to Hajj pilgrims, the employees of the working committees have been sent to Saudi Arabia earlier than in previous years.

At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi, said to the pilgrims during the ceremony: “Dear pilgrims, you are the representatives of the Afghan people in Saudi Arabia, so do this representation well.”

Hanafi added that with the efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, as in previous years, all Hajj activities this year have been prepared in an orderly manner.

Earlier, the acting minister announced that this year’s quota for Afghan pilgrims will be 30,000.

Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air are the official carriers of pilgrims this year.

Officials from the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) in the southwest of the country say they treated 700 children with heart defects last year and plan to treat another 15,000 children this year.

Marking World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day under the theme this year of “Keeping Humanity Alive”, officials and residents in Kandahar and Balkh provinces appealed to international organizations to continue helping Afghans.

Balkh local officials said support from ARCS had been received in the health, food preparation and cash distribution sectors.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society helps needy families across the country and coordinates and distributes humanitarian aid for other organizations.

Marking this day, IEA’s Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund also called on the people to help needy families.

According to a statement, Akhund asked aid organizations to increase and speed up their assistance in various sectors including health, economic assistance, and reconstruction.