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Experts to assess environmental and social impact of Mes Aynak copper mine
Officials said that discussions have been held in this regard with the contracted company and a team of domestic experts is going to carry out assessments within three months.
A team of experts will start assessing the environmental and social impact of an operational Mes Aynak copper mine in Logar province, Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday.
Officials said that discussions have been held in this regard with the contracted company and a team of domestic experts is going to carry out assessments within three months.
“This project has different dimensions. One of them is related to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, which should proceed according to their principles. Second, there are antiquities in the area and the Ministry of Information and Culture is working according to its principles over vulnerability. Our principle is that [the mining company] MCC must comply with environmental standards,” said Zain al-Abidin Abid, the technical deputy chief of the National Environmental Protection Agency.
Ministry of Mines and Petroleum officials stated that they will assess the environmental effects in cultural and economic fields.
“At each stage, it is necessary to have separate plans in accordance with the norms in the environmental protection area. Another issue is that for the reconstruction in the mining area, which is a very important step, global effective standards should be included in the environmental and social impact assessment report,” said Hamidullah Habibi, head of Aynak copper mining project department at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
Officials of the contracted company emphasized that they are ready to cooperate with officials on the environmental assessment.
Mes Aynak copper deposit is located 40 km southeast of Kabul in Logar province. It is the world’s second largest copper deposit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that security risks in Central Asia and developments in Afghanistan are among the primary concerns for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The CSTO is a regional military alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Speaking in Moscow during a meeting with CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov, Lavrov described the region’s security challenges as “central” to the organization’s agenda.
“The problems that are currently among the central ones for the CSTO are new challenges and threats. I am referring to the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security, as well as everything related to what is happening in Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised Masadykov as “one of the leading experts” on Central Asian security, noting that his experience could enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness of allied actions.
Similar to NATO, the CSTO considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all.
Countries in the region have always expressed concern about security threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed these concerns and assured that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against another country.
The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has announced that the leader of the Islamic Emirate has approved the establishment of a faculty dedicated to “Prophetic Medicine.”
According to the ministry, this new faculty will play a vital role in advancing medical sciences and training skilled healthcare professionals across the country.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, has announced that the long-delayed demarcation and renovation of border markers along the Afghanistan–Iran frontier will officially begin in the near future.
According to a statement from the ministry, Noori made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli.
He assured the Iranian side that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to accelerating the process and resolving any challenges that may arise during implementation.
In a separate statement, the Iranian Embassy in Kabul said Bikdeli underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation on border issues, describing it as a key factor in strengthening and expanding overall relations between the two countries.
Officials from both sides agreed nearly three months ago to resume the border-marker renovation project, which had remained stalled for the past seven years.
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