Via Foreign Policy, a report on how the militant group mines almost half a billion dollars a year from Afghan soil—and wants more: For decades, Afghanistan’s untapped mineral wealth has been touted as the country’s trillion-dollar El Dorado. But while the Afghan government has never been able to monetize mountains of copper, iron ore, gold, and […]
Read more »Via Africa Oil & Power, an article on Angola’s planned privatization program: Angola’s Privatization Program is expected to generate over $160 million (100 billion Angolan Kwanzas) in revenue through the divestment of 51 state assets this year. Forty-five companies will complete the process of privatization by the end of this month, with the rest to […]
Read more »Via Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting, a look at theTurkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway project: The fate of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway is still unclear, although in terms of importance this project can compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. For Tajikistan, the main goal of the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway is an alternative […]
Read more »Via Future Directions International, a report on Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste: With the COVID-19 pandemic causing havoc in economies across the globe, smaller countries that were already struggling before the crisis now face looming obstacles. While both Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste have been relatively untouched by the pandemic itself, the virus has had […]
Read more »Via Eurasianet, a look at a loss-making Tajik company behind a mysterious Belt and Road investment: Darvoz, in Tajikistan, is a province of dusky canyons and snowy peaks, villages perched across the river from Afghanistan. Terraces turn brilliant shades of green in summer with water channeled from above. Far from Dushanbe in hours and attitudes, Darvoz […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on China’s interest in a peaceful Afghanistan: China has offered to build a road network for the Taliban if they can ensure peace in Afghanistan after the US military withdrawal, according to two senior tribal leaders in Pakistan with close ties to the militants. Diplomats from Beijing offered […]
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