Amir Khorrami Shaad, a senior official at the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), said that Afghanistan's rich mineral resources can provide suitable grounds for establishing processing factories which can lead to the development of Iran's eastern provinces, Fars News Agency reported.
The official further said Afghanistan's rich mines offer unique opportunities for investment in iron ore, copper, niobium, cobalt, molybdenum and lithium.
Khorrami Shaad put the value of Afghanistan's proven mineral reserves at about $850 billion and said investment in mineral processing can bring in revenues of over $5 billion annually through export.
He said since Afghanistan is a land-locked country, Iran's Chabahar Free Trade Zone can handle its mineral export.
Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan and kept its pledges to help in the reconstruction of the war-hit country.
Iran has built roads, power transmission lines and border stations, among other infrastructure projects providing better communication links between the two countries.
Iran has also contributed more than $50 million annually to Afghanistan's anti-narcotics drive in the last decade.