The excavation of three mines has been awarded to three joint venture partnerships between Afghan-foreign companies, the Ministry of Mines said Monday.
Two copper mines in Balkhab and Shaida and Badakhshan's gold mine will be mined by three different companies selected from the 30-odd companies that bid for the projects, officials said.
Afghan Gold and Mineral Company has been awarded excavation of northern Sar-e-pul province's Balkhab copper mine, the Afghan Mineral Group Company won the tender for the Shaidai copper mine in western Herat province, and Turkish-Afghan Mining Company will mine northern Badakhshan province's gold site.
"These companies were eligible for our projects from the thirty companies that applied for the projects. We are still working on the contents of the contracts with these companies," Mines Ministry spokesman Jawad Omer said.
The companies have strong support from the banks in London, he added.
The company for central Ghazni province's Zarakshan's gold mine will be announced in the near future, officials said.