MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. A joint venture between Russia and Zimbabwe conducting diamond exploration in the African nation has identified gold occurrences at three sites, with plans underway to evaluate a transition to pilot-scale extraction, Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov said at the Russia-Africa Summit.
"The joint venture is engaged in diamond exploration, with operations currently active across 13 sites. Gold occurrences have been identified at three of them, and the venture has been granted the rights to conduct gold operations. Consequently, gold reserves are being calculated to assess the feasibility of moving to a pilot-scale extraction stage," Kozlov stated.
In late 2019, Russia’s Alrosa and the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) finalized a joint venture to prospect for and explore new primary diamond deposits in the country. Alrosa holds a 70% stake in the venture, while ZCDC holds 30%.
TASS is an official media partner of the third Russia-Africa Summit and the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.