Russian geologists analyse Afghanistan's mineral reserves totalling $3 trillion

Russia has begun research into Afghanistan's mineral reserves. According to estimates from US geological surveys, Afghanistan's mineral wealth is worth as much as $3 trillion.

According to the Russian Business Center in Afghanistan, their mission is to "shortly analyze and compile a geological map of the country's mineral resource base to assist the local government."

Rustam Khabibullin, the head of the Russian Business Center said that a number of expeditions have already been conducted in the provinces of Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan. According to him, the results of the research showed the numbers that were significantly higher than those that had been obtained during geological surveys of the past.

"Preliminary analyses of samples of precious and rare earth metals showed that the forecast was exceeded by 8 times for precious metals and by 12 times for rare earth metals. As for precious metals, it goes about silver, gold, platinum, and palladium," he said.

Rare earth elements include lithium, tantalum, niobium, cesium, rubidium, beryllium and cadmium.