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, TurkicWorld 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.
