Minister of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan Saba networked with Finnish companies 

The Afghan Minister of Mines and Petroleum Daud S. Saba visited Finland on 1–6 November 2015 at the invitation of Minister of Employment and the Economy Rehn and the Geological Survey of Finland. Minister Saba attended the Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining (FEM) conference in Levi, Lapland. About a thousand professionals in the mining industry and over a hundred companies and organisations from Finland, the Nordic countries and from elsewhere convened at the conference. The event and the trade fair organised in conjunction with it provided an excellent opportunity for establishing contacts with companies.

Photo: Petri Lehtonen
Meeting at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy together with representatives of the Foreign Ministry.

During his visit, Minister Saba met leaders and senior officials from the Geological Survey of Finland, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the province of Lapland. The visitors met also representatives of Finnish companies interested in the Afghan mining and energy sector and representatives of the Afghan–Finnish Business Council in Helsinki. Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, CEO of AISA, was a member of the Minister's delegation. AISA helps foreign companies and investors to establish in Afghanistan.

The visitors built up contacts with Finnish companies and discussed the opportunities for trade and business activities between Afghanistan and Finland. There is a wealth of untapped potential in Afghanistan's mining sector. The mineral deposits have been calculated to be worth over USD one billion. However, their full exploitation is hampered by poor infrastructure, the security situation in the country, and the lowering world market price of minerals. The mining sector is expected to form a marked source of income for the State of Afghanistan in the future.

Photo: Petri Lehtonen
CEO Haqjo and Minister Saba at the FEM Conference.

The visit was a part of a five-year capacity-building project between the Geological Survey of Finland and the Afghan Geological Survey, which started in the summer of 2013. Afghan geophysicists are trained in a development cooperation project. The visit focused on the objectives of the project in the coming years and on how it can support the reform policy that Minister Saba is pursuing in his Ministry.

Minister Saba holds a doctorate in geology and he has a long experience in the mining sector. He has also served as the Governor of Herat, a province of Afghanistan.