Chinese mining company MCC to open office in Kabul

China’s mining company Metallurgical Corp of China (MCC) will open an office in Kabul by the end of this month, Afghan officials said on Saturday.

Esmatullah Burhan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said that the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has assessed the agreement on Mes Aynak copper project and has found no problems.

He said that mining at Mes Aynak in Logar province will begin soon.

Mes Aynak site holds 11.08 million tonnes of copper, according to MCC estimates.

A consortium of MCC and Jiangxi Copper took on a 30-year lease for Mes Aynak in 2008. However, due to the unstable situation in Afghanistan, the copper mine has not yet undergone substantial construction.

Afghan authorities say China is interested in Afghanistan’s mining sector more than any other country.

Experts say copper prices have increased on global markets and mining at Mes Aynak would significantly contribute to the economic growth of the country.

“Attracting foreign investment in the country’s mining sector is very important, because it creates jobs and increases revenues,” said Baz Mohammad Ghairat, a member of the private sector.