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[INTERNATIONAL] · Afghanistan, United States · 7 sources

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Taliban seeks US investment in Afghanistan’s $1 trillion mineral reserves

The Taliban government is seeking to establish an economic relationship with the United States by leveraging Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has invited American companies to invest in the country’s mining, infrastructure, agriculture, and trade sectors.

Muttaqi proposed that US-Afghan relations should be based on future cooperation rather than the previous 20 years of conflict. This diplomatic outreach includes calls for the reopening of the US Embassy in Kabul and the release of approximately $7 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets currently held in the United States.

Afghanistan possesses significant untapped mineral reserves, including lithium, copper, cobalt, gold, and rare earth elements, estimated to be worth at least $1 trillion. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has awarded over $6.5 billion in mining contracts, though most have gone to companies from China, Iran, and Turkey. The regime is now looking to the US to fill economic gaps and provide sanctions relief.

Entities

Afghanistan · Amir Khan Muttaqi · Donald Trump · Taliban · United States

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