11th Astana Mining and Metallurgy Congress kicks off in Kazakh capital

NUR-SULTAN, October 20 (KAZINFORM) – The 11th Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress has begun its work in the city of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Kazinform correspondent reports. Today, the Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress is an effective platform for professional meetings, reaching agreements, and signing contracts. With foreign experts participating in the event, it promotes exchanges of experiences, best practices, and development of new solutions. «The Kazakh economy as well the global economy is dealing with the consequences of the pandemic. However, despite the difficulties the positive trend is observed in the economic development of the country. I note that the situation remains difficult though. It is important to continue working on diversifying the economy, expanding the names of produced goods, ensuring the needs of the domestic market, and increasing the export geography,» said Adilbek Sarsembayev, Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan. He went on to say that all this will enable to maintain the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s metallurgical products during the unstable global economy. The two-day Congress will feature discussions between government officials, international sectoral experts, CEOs of major companies, top managers of service enterprises in the field of mining and metallurgical and its development prospects. The Forum was first held in 2010 with support from and direct participation of First President of Kazakhstan – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev. The mining and metallurgical complex is one of the locomotives of the Kazakh economy, accounting for around 8.2% of the GDP, some 24% of the national export, and providing jobs for 230 thousand Kazakhstanis. The 2021 Congress is themed «Vectors of the growth of global mining amid the pandemic». Its program includes sessions on new technology and digital solutions, geological exploration, master classes on the development of new competences in Industry 4.0. It will also feature forums on gold and coal industries and master classes on GR, PR, and HR. The future of Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical sector lies in the attraction of investment in geological exploration, development of quality staff potential, and implementation of new technology.