The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
Vice President Emmerson yesterday met visiting Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Mr Dennis Manturov and his delegation which arrived in the country on Friday and departs tomorrow after discussions on trade and industry cooperation between the two nations.
Minister Manturov is in the country for the Zimbabwe-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.
Addressing journalists following the meeting at Munhumutapa Government offices Minister Manturov said Russia had extended an invitation to a Zimbabwean business delegation to visit Moscow and scout cooperation and business opportunity.
The visit will take place in July.
Said Minister Manturov: “We had a fruitful meeting (with VP Mnangagwa) where we focused on many aspects, especially on the topic of yesterday’s (Friday’s) negotiations between our team and ministers in the Zimbabwe Government.
“It was a very fruitful discussion of many aspects of real economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism. We are really interested to send our tourists to Zimbabwe.
“My colleagues from the Ministry of Industry will come to Russia in July where we are going to organise meetings with business leaders and we would like to encourage the Zimbabwean business to make connections with Russian industry.
“On the mining sector, we are in the process of realising the huge mining project of platinum in Darwendale and we are looking forward to make it very successful. By 2018 we are looking to produce refined platinum again for the benefit of the economy of Zimbabwe.”
On Friday Mr Manturov was in Bulawayo attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), where the Russian Federation was exhibiting a number of products and services.
Zimbabwe and Russia are currently undertaking a massive platinum mining project in Darwendale through Great Dyke Investments — a joint venture between Zimbabwe and a consortium of Russian corporations. The development strategy of the project involves the phased creation of mining and processing production facilities with mining and processing of up to 10 million tonnes of ore per year.
Also smelting facilities will produce up to 25 tonnes of platinum group metals a year.
The project is being implemented in three phases with the first stage running between 2015 and 2017, mainly involving exploration and establishment of infrastructure.
The second phase will involve the opening of two underground mines and a smelter – taking up about five years.
The project will be completed when the company sets up a refinery.
