The Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources of Syria, Firas Kaddour, told the Sputnik news agency about the discovery of new minerals in Syria, the studies of which confirmed their existence.
The Syrian minister indicated that the ministry is working to make the minerals sector more attractive for local and foreign investment in remote areas.
He pointed out that there are “9 investment opportunities in the field of minerals that have been put forward under the Syrian Investment Authority map and are open to brotherly and allied countries such as Russia and Iran.”
And pointed out that the US-Western sanctions temporarily lifted from Syria during the earthquake included only those related to aid and humanitarian work, and did not include those related to the oil sector and minerals.
Minister Kaddour continued: “However, there is communication with Arab countries and friendly countries regarding projects and investments in these riches, and all issues are being discussed.”
The oil minister added that Syria competes with the most important countries in the world in the field of minerals, as it has infrastructure and trained workers, in addition to road and transport networks, the presence of contracting companies that have the necessary experience, which makes it competitive, especially for neighboring countries.
The minister concluded his conversation with Sputnik on the sidelines of a seminar held today in Damascus in collaboration with the Syrian Geological Society, saying: “Work is currently underway to produce important materials and give them additional value to cover the needs of the local market and abandon what is imported. of them, and thus provide foreign exchange. Reach the stage of exporting the surplus of these industries, which facilitates the introduction of foreign exchange and supports the Syrian economy.”
The experts who participated in the seminar found that Syria has a variety of underground mineral resources, which gives it the right to occupy a leading position in the field of the mineral resource industry, since there are 21 ores and minerals on which industries can be developed. are established, and added value can be achieved, and each of them means dozens of investments in economic accounts. Knowing that there are more than 5 thousand geologists in Syria and all of them have experience and the highest scientific qualifications.
Source: Sputnik
