Türkiye expanding its global cooperation in mining industry
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has been expanding cooperation among nations in the field of mining and natural resources through agreements signed with key global players in the industry.
Speaking at the International Mining Conference in Tianjin, China, last week, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that Türkiye discovered the world's second-largest rare earth element Reserve in the western province of Eskişehir.
“We aim to establish an industrial facility that will purify 570,000 tons of rare elements annually. We are ready to cooperate with all countries in Africa, West and Central Asia,” he added.
In the last weeks, Bayraktar inked two international deals, including China and the mineral-rich African nation of Niger, on mining.
Bayraktar met Niger’s Mines Minister Abarchi Ousmane in Istanbul, where the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in mining, the Turkish Energy Ministry announced on Oct. 22.
Türkiye and Niger will cooperate on exploring and mining mineral resources, the ministry added.
The deal will promote the exchange of information, official-level meetings, consultations between relevant ministries and institutions, and cooperation in projects of mutual interest and capacity building, the statement added.
In addition, cooperation activities will be carried out to support sustainable development through the mining sectors of both countries.
Türkiye will actively encourage both public and private sector companies to invest in Niger's mining industry, the statement added.
Agreement with China
During his visit to China last week, Bayraktar held talks with high-level Chinese officials and signed a MoU with Natural Resources Minister Wang Guanghua on cooperation in natural resources and mining.
“With the agreement we have signed, we aim to advance our cooperation in all areas of mining, and especially to work together on critical minerals in Türkiye,” Bayraktar said.
On the margins of the mining conference in Tianjin, Bayraktar met with Kizito Pakabomba Kapinga, the minister of mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for talks on joint projects the two countries could develop in mining, especially critical materials.
In Tianjin, Bayraktar also met with Tajikistan’s Industry and New Technologies Minister Sherali Kabir.
They assessed the cooperation opportunities in mining and agreed to take concrete steps by carrying out technical studies as soon as possible, Bayraktar said.