Belarus, China to start cooperating in geological exploration
22.03.2024
MINSK, 22 March (BelTA) – Chinese companies are interested in a Belarusian investment project for mining basalts and tufa, BelTA learned from Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Andrei Khudyk.
The minister held an online meeting with top officials of the Chinese agency China Geological Survey. The meeting took place at premises of the republican center for state ecological expert evaluation, training, career enhancement and personnel retraining of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry.
Andrei Khudyk said: “We’ve been cooperating rather actively with Chinese colleagues for some time already. Today we understand that China is a highly developed country. Particularly in matters of geological exploration, extraction of mineral resources, their processing, and utilization intensification. This is why we’ve asked our partners to share their experience regarding geological exploration for hydrocarbons. I’d like to note that we’ve received very interesting information that we have yet to take a closer look at.”
During the online meeting the parties also agreed on the exchange of delegations and on training Belarusian personnel.
The natural resources and environmental protection minister went on saying: “I am convinced that today’s proposals and concrete persistent steps, on which we have managed to agree, will allow us to fulfill the head of state’s instruction to intensify the stock of mineral resources and raw materials in Belarus.”
The official added that several Belarusian investment projects had been presented during the negotiations, including a project relating to the Novodvorskoye deposit where basalts and tufa will be mined.
“Our Chinese colleagues are already looking for potential investors for us in China. Several large international companies have expressed their desire to visit Belarus and examine the investment project on the spot. We are convinced that we will reach a good result step by step. There is no doubt that such serious projects cannot be launched fast,” Andrei Khudyk concluded.
