KHUJAND, December 25, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Gold-mining company Zeravshan has topped Sughd enterprises in attraction of foreign investors this year, Anvar Yoqubov, the head of the Sughd directorate for investments and state-owned property, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, 19.396 million US dollars have been invested in the company this year.  “Further 50 million dollars are expected to be invested in modernization of the enterprise in 2009,” Yoqubov said.

Zeravshan is followed by the Anzob ore refinery.  More than 1.021 million dollars have been invested in modernization of the ore refinery this year.

“Foreign investors are also expected to invest additional funds in the joint venture Apreleveka (gold mining) and Tajik-Chinese Mining-Industrial Company,” the Sughd official noted.

We will recall that China’s gold mining company Zijin Mining acquired a 75 percent stake in the Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC).

Zijin, following its acquisition of Commonwealth and British Minerals for $170 million (£8.5 million), purchased the shares in its subsidiary - Tajikistan''s Zeravshan Gold for $55 million.

Zeravshan owns gold mining and exploration rights to a 300,000-hectare area near the town of Panjakent in Tajikistan