DUSHANBE, April 2, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Issues related to bilateral cooperation in mining sector were a major topic of a meeting of Tajik Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sherali with Mr. Huan Xiang Zhun (phonetically spelled), president of Tajik-Chinese joint venture, The Tajik-Chinese Company, which took place here on April 1.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) press center, the sides discussed ways to increase capacity of the Zarnisor dressing works and construction of metallurgical works in Sughd province.

The sides also discussed the issue of financing construction of the Buston-Zarnisor highway and establishment of mobile first-aid unit, the source said.

We will recall that China Global New Technology Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd, which is the main investor in The Tajik-Chinese Mining Company, plans to invest some 500 million U.S. dollars in construction of the metallurgical works in northern Tajikistan.

The Tajik-Chinese Mining Company was launched in 2007.  In December 2007, the company began construction of the ore-dressing plant, Zarnisor, with an annual capacity of one million tons in the Mastchoh district.  To-date, China Global New Technology Imp. & Exp. Co., LTD has reportedly invested 150 million USD in this plant.

Last year, the enterprise reportedly produced more than 23,400 tons of lead powder and more than 37,300 tons of zinc powder for a total amount of 320.9 million somoni.  

Construction of the second technological line is expected to increase the ore-dressing plant’s annual capacity to 2 million tons.