The Russian Ambassador said that the Taliban are open to Russia's participation in the country's economy

The Taliban (the movement has been recognized as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation) is open to Russian participation in the development of the Afghan economy, Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov said on Soloviev Live. His words are quoted by Interfax.

“The Taliban are open to our participation in the economy, including the development of mineral resources. This is a question for our business,” said Zhirnov.

According to the diplomat, the Taliban "are interested in a peaceful border with Central Asia in order to establish trade and economic cooperation."

CNN wrote that in 2010 the US Department of Defense estimated the mineral deposits in Afghanistan at about $1 trillion. We are talking about iron, copper and gold. In addition, Afghanistan is said to have "one of the richest deposits of lithium," a mineral needed in the production of reusable batteries and other essential technologies.

At the same time, it is noted that the lack of infrastructure hinders the extraction of the most valuable minerals in Afghanistan. According to CNN journalists, referring to the opinion of experts, Pakistan, India and China may show interest in cooperation in mining in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Novaya Gazeta, orientalist Boris Podoprigora said that lithium reserves in Afghanistan are indeed large, but their development requires huge investments.

“Without the stability of the Afghan regime, they cannot be obtained. So far, Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. This is drugs, apricots, saffron, that's all. So I would be careful not to talk about large investments, ”he explained.