KABUL, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has entered into a contract with a local company to develop a salt mine in the Ghorian district of western Herat province, the ministry announced on Wednesday.
The project covers 10.51 square km and is backed by an investment of 5.342 million U.S. dollars, the statement said.
The contract will run for a period of 15 years.
The project highlights ongoing efforts by the Afghan authorities to utilize natural resources and encourage domestic investment in the mining industry. ■
