The scientist said the work would require a small factory to be built in the Bamiyan Valley.

CNN: Will one of two destroyed Buddha statues be reconstructed?

For 1, 500 years, the sandstone cliffs of afghanistan's Bamiyan valley encased two towering Buddhas peering sleepily from their caves onto patches of magnolia trees.

WSJ: In Afghanistan, a Rush to Save Buried Treasure

The prospect of mineral extraction in the Bamiyan Valley, both the challenges and opportunities it could provide, were also discussed in the context of sustainable development.

UNESCO: Management Coordination Meeting for the future of the Bamiyan World Heritage Site | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization