Taliban and Uzbek company sign $1 billion gas production deal

The interim Taliban government in Afghanistan has signed a contract with an Uzbek company for the exploration and production of natural gas at the Tuti Maidan field, located in the Jauzjan and Faryab regions of northern Afghanistan. The agreement was reported by Khama Press.

The 10-year contract, valued at approximately $1 billion, was signed on October 10 by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban government, and a representative from the Uzbek company.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Uzbek company will invest $100 million in the first year, followed by an additional $900 million over the next nine years. In the first two years, the field will generate 100 megawatts of gas-fired electricity. The Tuti Maidan gas field spans an area of approximately 7,000 square kilometers.

“Once production begins, it will significantly contribute to meeting Afghanistan's gas needs and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” the report noted.

As a reminder, earlier, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Saidov, received the new ambassador appointed by the Taliban, Abdul Ghaffar Teravi.