The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a five-year contract for the extraction of gold at a mine in Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province, with an investment valued at more than $20 million.

According to the ministry, the agreement was signed on Sunday by Hedayatullah Badri, Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, in the presence of the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.

The project covers an area of approximately 5.97 square kilometers and is expected to attract an investment of $20.24 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company responsible for the project has pledged to pay a 30 percent royalty to the Afghan government and allocate $200,000 toward social development and public service initiatives in the area.

Officials said the project is also expected to generate employment opportunities for around 100 people through both direct and indirect jobs.

The ministry described the agreement as part of ongoing efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment into Afghanistan’s mining sector, which authorities view as a key driver of economic growth and regional cooperation.

Officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture participated in an online scientific meeting organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), focused on the preservation of Islamic manuscripts.

Obaidullah Hanif, Director of the National Archive, and Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzai, Head of Foreign Relations and Cultural Attachés at the ministry, joined the session held by ICESCO’s Centre for Calligraphy and Manuscripts under the theme “Islamic Manuscripts in the World.”

The meeting examined the condition of Islamic manuscripts in Mali and discussed strategies for their preservation and protection as part of global cultural heritage.

ICESCO representatives highlighted that Mali’s extensive collection of hundreds of thousands of historical manuscripts represents one of the most significant repositories of Islamic civilisation and intellectual history in West Africa.

Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.

ICESCO is an intergovernmental organization specializing in the fields of education, science and culture.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education has announced 1,060 vacant administrative posts across district education departments and regional education zones, to be filled through an open competitive recruitment process.

Officials said the hiring will be conducted transparently, with candidates selected strictly on merit, qualifications, and professional competence. They stressed that ethnic or regional considerations will not play any role in the selection process.

In a related development, Mohammad Zahid Ahmadzai, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, said returning refugees will be given priority in employment opportunities. He added that the ministry is working with multiple institutions to broaden job creation across the country.

Education ministry officials noted that the newly advertised posts form part of a revised organisational structure designed to strengthen administrative capacity across 473 districts nationwide.