Speech at the Conference on Investment Attraction and Support for Afghanistan’s Power Sector

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

To the esteemed members of the Cabinet of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, distinguished officials of Emirate institutions, respected representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, embassies and international organizations, esteemed representatives of the domestic and foreign private sector, non-governmental organizations, renewable energy advocates, honorable guests, and all participants:

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
May Allah Almighty grant you good health.

Before anything else, I pray for Jannat al-Firdaws for our compatriots who were martyred in the recent earthquake in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, particularly in Kunar. I pray for immediate and complete recovery for the injured, and for the bereaved families I ask from Almighty Allah for noble compensation and immense reward.

Honorable participants,
I welcome you all to today’s conference on investment attraction and support for Afghanistan’s power sector. Welcome to everyone.

Fortunately, Afghanistan possesses significant potential for large, medium, and small-scale investments. Due to its abundant reserves of raw materials required for production, this country is considered among the resource-rich nations of the world—while many countries, particularly industrial ones, are facing severe shortages of this essential element of production.

Esteemed domestic and foreign investors,
With its broad opportunities in the power sector, Afghanistan needs to attract domestic and foreign investment. Fortunately, alongside other facilities, the country’s water, solar, and wind resources constitute diverse and extensive sources for energy production, which are regarded as significant potential generation capacities within the power sector.

Optimal utilization of these opportunities will not only make Afghanistan self-sufficient in electricity but will also create the capacity to export energy to other countries.

Honorable participants,
This important conference has been convened today to attract domestic and foreign investors, introduce opportunities, identify challenges, and propose suitable solutions, as well as to conduct comprehensive discussions regarding the development of Afghanistan’s power sector. This is an appropriate and timely step toward attracting investment.

During this important conference, comprehensive discussions will be held for domestic and foreign investors on opportunities within Afghanistan’s power sector. Participatory investment models will be presented, strategic projects and initiatives for the development of the electricity sector will be discussed, relevant challenges will be assessed, and practical solutions will be proposed. I hope all participants will have an active and meaningful presence here, and that the conference concludes with actionable outcomes.

I deem it appropriate to thank the respected officials of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) for organizing this important conference and making commendable efforts in this regard. I also thank all domestic and foreign investors, the representatives of various international institutions, and all participants for attending this conference.

From this platform, I call on the international community, countries, and international financial institutions to end financial and banking restrictions on Afghanistan. These restrictions are not only unbeneficial to us, but they are also not in the interest of the region and the world.

These restrictions have negatively affected the process of foreign investment in Afghanistan. It is clear to all that the world is interconnected, and the economic developments—positive or negative—of each country inevitably affect others in various ways. Therefore, it is necessary that the world views these interactions and their consequences collectively and responsibly, and refrains from all restrictive policies.

Thank you for your attention.
Wassalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.