KABUL - Afghanistan's mining minister says the China Metallurgical Group Corp. has been selected to carry out technical studies for two proposed rail lines in the country.

Wahidullah Shahrani said Monday that the state-run Chinese company, also known as MCC, will begin the preliminary studies soon for building a rail line from Kabul to Turkam in the east, and Kabul to Mazar-e-Sharif in the north. The rail lines are seen as essential to help Afghanistan develop a mining industry that could bring in billions of sorely needed dollars to the impoverished nation.

MCC had already been awarded a $3 billion copper mining project in Afghanistan. Shahrani cited that contract as well as other road projects MCC had carried out in country as reasons why it was chosen for the railway study. (AP)