BAKU, Azerbaijan, September
24. The precious and non-ferrous metal deposits
located in Karabakh and East Zangezur are among the top priorities
of the government program, the Chairman of the Executive Board of
AzerGold CJSC, Zakir Ibrahimov, said at a briefing held today,
Trend’s correspondent
reports from the event.
The official noted that the implementation of the state program
marks the beginning of a new era, particularly for the liberated
territories.
"Operations have already commenced at the Damirli copper mine,
located near the village of Janyatag in the Aghdara district, and
extraction is scheduled to begin soon in the Kalbajar district. In
the Zangilan district, work is underway to re-evaluate existing
reserves using modern geological methods, refine the resource base,
and carry out the technical and infrastructure preparations
necessary for future extraction.
As President Ilham Aliyev has noted, there is significant
mineral resource potential not only in Karabakh but also in the
surrounding districts. Consequently, large-scale exploration
activities utilizing state-of-the-art geological technologies have
been launched with the aim of identifying new deposits.
The third geographical area highlighted by President Ilham
Aliyev is the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Geological
exploration in Nakhchivan was insufficient during both the Soviet
era and the subsequent years. This region also possesses
significant mineral potential, and launching extensive geological
exploration activities there is one of the key objectives of the
state program," he explained.
The chairman pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev defined
specific tasks regarding these areas during the meeting held on
September 22.
"In particular, the re-evaluation of existing deposits using
modern methods, the expansion of geological exploration, the
establishment of a complete production chain, from ore to finished
product, and the attraction of private investment to the sector
were highlighted as key priorities.
The adoption of the state program at this specific time is of
particular importance, as the role of the mining industry in the
modern global economy has undergone significant change. The
transition to green energy, electrification, digitalization, and
the development of high technologies are driving up demand for
copper, zinc, lead, iron, and other metal ores, as well as for
critical mineral raw materials. At the same time, issues regarding
the resilience of global supply chains and the security of mineral
resources are increasingly coming to the forefront. In this regard,
the state program represents a timely strategic step aimed at more
effectively leveraging the growing global importance of
Azerbaijan's mineral resources,” he added.
