Homayoon Afghan, spokesperson for the ministry, stated that Afghanistan welcomes foreign companies to invest in its oil and gas sector. "Interest from Central Asian companies in Afghanistan's oil and gas sector has greatly increased. Recently, we had meetings with Uzbek companies," Afghan said. He highlighted the ministry's efforts to attract investments by announcing several oil and gas sites, including the Herat oil and gas fields.

Recently, two large companies from Russia and Uzbekistan have shown a particular interest in these investment opportunities. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum views this interest as a positive development for the sector.

Despite having over 200,000 square kilometers of oil and gas reserves, Afghanistan currently purchases nearly 90% of its oil and gas needs from Central Asian countries and Iran, according to statistics from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

This interest from Russian, Kazakh, and Uzbek companies could mark a significant shift in Afghanistan's energy sector, potentially reducing its reliance on imports and boosting regional economic ties. (ILKHA)