KABUL
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz on Saturday met with Afghanistan's Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani as part of his visit in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Speaking to reporters before the bilateral meeting, Yildiz said Turkey and Afghanistan had historical ties of friendship, adding that his country was ready to improve cooperation in mining.
"Let's extract Afghanistan's resources together and bring together technologies of the two countries. Unearthing Afghanistan's underground resources will help the Afghan nation maintain stability," Yildiz said.
Shahrani, the Afghan minister, said his country was willing to take advantage of know-how in Turkey in the mining industry, adding that the two countries had earlier agreed to commission Turkish companies explore oil and gas in Afghanistan.
Shahrani said a number of Turkish firms had won tenders to explore oil in Sheberghan in northern Afghanistan and Turkey's state-run oil company TPAO and the Afghan government had agreed to drill for oil on the Afghan-Tajik border.
Minister Yildiz Afghan vice president
Minister Taner Yildiz met with Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili in capital Kabul.
Speaking to reporters before the behind-closed-doors meeting, Khalili said Afghanistan attached "serious importance" to relations with Turkey, adding "Turkish nation has always stood side by side with Afghanistan."
"We are grateful for Turkey for the support it extended in all areas. We want to improve our ties between our two nations," Khalili said.
Afghanistan contacts 'fruitful
Yildiz has praised his talks in the Afghan capital as "fruitful" saying that his contacts would have "very positive impacts on Turkey's development."
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency correspondent before his departure from Kabul for Turkey on Saturday, Yildiz said Afghanistan offered lucrative business opportunities, adding that he held talks with eight Afghan cabinet members including ministers of mines, finance and electricity as will with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Yildiz said Turkey's state-owned oil company TPAO had won a deal worth of $50 million in an oil field Mazar-i Sharif as well as maintenance of eight natural gas wells.
Yildiz said that the TPAO had also made a $60 million offer to explore for oil in four separate wells.
