Russian media reports say the Ministry of trade of Afghanistan, representatives of the Russian business community, investors from Iran and specialists from Pakistan have signed a US$1 billion worth of memorandum of intent on infrastructure development projects.
RIA Novosti, citing the Ministry of Foreign Federation of Russia, says the document was signed in Kabul in early February this year.
The document reportedly involves construction of a coal-powered combine heat and power (CHP) plant, mining operations and modernization of the gas pipeline in Herat.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation noted that "information regarding the establishment of “a US$1 billion worth trade union between Russia and Afghanistan, is based on inaccurate public interpretation of an agreement reached by the Afghan authorities with one of Russian private companies,” RIA Novosti says.
RIA Novosti reports that the Russian MFA says that “in accordance with a quadripartite memorandum of intent on implementation of a number of infrastructure projects in the territory of Afghanistan, signed in Kabul on February 5 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Afghanistan, a group of Iranian investors, a group of Pakistani specialists and representatives of the Russian business community, Russia’s economic operator KER-Holding plans to constructer a 200 WV coal-powered CHP plant in Afghanistan’s Samangan Province.”
According to the Russian MFA, the document mentions seven other investment projects, including construction of the Kabul-Milak (Nimruz province) highway, rehabilitation of the Salang Tunnel, rehabilitation of the Panjshir-Kabul water supply system, mining operations, modernization of the gas pipeline in Herat, development of coal deposits, and construction of water treatment stations.
