17 Nov 2022 12:24

EBRD to provide technical assistance to Ukraine's State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources

MOSCOW. Nov 17 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a memorandum on technical assistance, Ukrainian State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources head Roman Opimakh said.

"The document envisages steps to digitize secondary geological information, and develop the IT architecture and the capabilities of the state geological website," Ukrainian media outlets quoted Opimakh as saying in a social media post.

The memorandum was signed with EBRD First Vice President Jurgen Rigterink on the sidelines of the EU Raw Materials Week in Brussels with backing from the European Commission and the Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic and Ukrainian Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strelets.

In accordance with the document, the EBRD is the provider of services, the Ukrainian State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources is the key beneficiary, while specialists of the State Geological Information Fund of Ukraine are the project's contractors, Opimakh said.

"The project is expected to continue for three years and envisions buying equipment and fitting out the server facility - ventilation, physical access and ensuring uninterrupted power supply - as soon as in the first half of 2023," he said.

At least 20,000 storage units of geological information will be digitized and published on the state geological website next year in accordance with the best world standards, he said.

"The implementation of this project will help not only digitize secondary geological information and publish it in open sources, but also update the interface of the search for geological reports via interactive maps, which will be published on the state geological website," Opimakh said.

Translations of research papers and reports and an English-language search engine will become convenient tools for foreign investors who want to learn more about the development of Ukrainian mineral resources.

"The next move will be the signing of an agreement on the provision of technical assistance and steps to agree the parameters of this work and its timeframe," Opimakh said.