KABUL, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum on Saturday signed a contract worth 38.74 million U.S. dollars with a domestic company for the development of a talc deposit in eastern Nangarhar province.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mullah Hedayatullah Badri highlighted the project's socio-economic value, noting that it is expected to generate more than 400 direct and indirect jobs during implementation.
The 15-year agreement covers 3.93 square km in the Woch Bandar area of Achin district, said Badri.
The agreement follows a larger 65.8-million-U.S. dollar talc mining contract awarded in early September for the Shirzad district of the same province.
The Afghan government has in recent months concluded a series of contracts with both local and international firms as it seeks to convert the country's largely untapped natural resources into tangible economic gains. ■
