H.E. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, attended the Conference on Attracting Investment and Supporting Afghanistan’s Power Sector, where he delivered the keynote address.
At the ceremony held at the Intercontinental Hotel, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs highlighted Afghanistan’s vast potential for large, medium, and small-scale investments. He noted that, owing to its abundant reserves of raw materials for productive industries, Afghanistan is recognized as a resource-rich nation.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that, in addition to other resources, Afghanistan possesses vast reserves of water, wind, and solar energy. Harnessing these resources will not only allow the country to achieve self-sufficiency in electricity but also create the capacity to export energy to neighboring nations.
The Deputy Prime Minister regarded the conference, which aimed to attract domestic and foreign investors to Afghanistan’s power sector, showcase investment opportunities, address sectoral challenges, and propose solutions, as a significant step. He expressed hope that the conference would conclude successfully with practical and actionable outcomes.
At the conclusion of his remarks, the Deputy Prime Minister called on all countries, the international community, and international financial institutions to lift the financial and banking restrictions imposed on Afghanistan. He emphasized that these restrictions have hindered the flow of foreign investment and are detrimental not only to Afghanistan but also to the region and the wider international community.
It is noteworthy that the conference titled “Attracting Investment and Supporting Afghanistan’s Power Sector” was attended by members of the Cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan; the Ministers of Energy of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan; representatives of UNAMA, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and UNDP; representatives from several embassies; domestic and foreign private sector officials; non-governmental organizations; and institutions supporting renewable energy.
The conference aimed to showcase Afghanistan’s investment potential in the power sector, attract domestic and foreign investors, identify challenges and propose solutions, enhance sector expertise, strengthen cooperation between government, the private sector, and international institutions, and lay the groundwork for regional energy connectivity.
