Afghanistan Agrees to Transparency Standards

Revenue Watch Applauds Commitment to EITI and Calls for Government Cooperation With Civil Society

NEW YORK, February 11 - With the formal addition of Afghanistan to the Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative this week, leaders and citizens gained a new tool in
the struggle for regional stability, and the embattled country signaled a
commitment to sound natural resource management and increased public
accountability.

The Revenue Watch Institute welcomed the acceptance of Afghanistan as the
latest "implementing country" in the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (EITI), an international voluntary standard for disclosure and
responsible management in the oil, gas and mining sectors. The EITI board
announced the addition of both Afghanistan and Iraq yesterday in Oslo,
Norway.

"Afghanistan's mineral resources are attracting growing interest from
international investors, after decades of conflict and little progress in
national efforts to rebuild," said Karin Lissakers, director of the Revenue
Watch Institute. The nation's Ministry of Mines opened bidding on three oil
and gas blocks in summer 2009, and also signed a recent deal with China
Metallurgical Group to extract copper.

"Government adherence to the principles of transparency of payments
increases the likelihood that the people will benefit from their country's
valuable resources, and helps to build public trust," said Lissakers. "We
hope that Afghan officials and the international community will work together
to safeguard the rights and freedoms that make the EITI dialogue possible."

With Iraq and Afghanistan now implementing the EITI, Revenue Watch
believes the Middle East and neighboring countries have significant new
opportunities to increase both economic and political stability.

The Revenue Watch Institute (www.revenuewatch.org) is a non-profit
policy institute and grantmaking organization that promotes the responsible
management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good. With
effective revenue management, citizen engagement and real government
accountability, natural resource wealth can drive development and national
growth. RWI provides the expertise, funding and technical assistance to help
countries realize these benefits.

Jed Miller of the Revenue Watch Institute, +1-917-257-0670 (US), jmiller at revenuewatch.org