Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged corporate Japan on Friday to explore his country's untapped mineral resources that, according to a recent U.S. geological survey, may be worth more than $1 trillion.
During a meeting in Tokyo organized by the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Karzai said his country will become "an industrial hub of mineral resources" and "Japan is welcome to participate in lithium exploration in Afghanistan."
Karzai, in Japan until Sunday, said international and domestic rivalry over the mineral resources should be managed properly, but hinted he may favor certain countries.