BEIJING: China and Pakistan will soon conduct research on geochemical anomalies identified in previous surveys in Pakistan to reach the full potential behind these anomalies both academically and economically, as revealed by Dr. Sajjad Ahmed, Director General, Geological Survey of Pakistan.
He made these remarks during the recently concluded International Conference on Cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries in Geosciences and Mining Investments.
The conference was also dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-SCO Geoscience Cooperation Research Center, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Friday.
Since its establishment, the center has signed more than 40 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding and implemented more than 50 joint projects with 13 SCO countries represented by Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the fields of Eurasian resources and environment and earth system science.
Over the past decade, the China-SCO Geosciences Cooperation Research Center has made significant progress in deepening the understanding of earth sciences, promoting cooperation and sustainable mineral resource exploration. The enduring friendship between China and Pakistan is the cornerstone of our cooperation efforts in this area. During his visit to China, the Pakistani Prime Minister further emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in this area, said Dr. Sajjad Ahmed.
According to a joint statement between China and Pakistan released during Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in June, mining is an important breakthrough area for industrial cooperation between the two nations. The two sides agreed to strengthen long-term mining cooperation planning, jointly promote the implementation of the Agreement on Strengthening Mining and Industrial Cooperation under the CPEC framework, and carry out geological survey, joint research in geology and minerals and talent training, etc.
In addition, Chinese companies are encouraged to invest in the mining industry in Pakistan and strengthen the planning of mining industrial parks, including downstream mineral processing.
Currently, China-Pakistan cooperation in geosciences and mining is getting closer and closer. In recent years, both countries have jointly carried out geological mapping, comparative studies of metallogenic regularity, geochemical survey of important metallogenic zones or belts, anomaly verification of metallogenic potential zones in Pakistan, etc.
