Russia seeking to coordinate systems to classify mineral reserves with number of countries - commission

NOVOSIBIRSK. Jan 29 (Interfax) - Russia and China are actively collaborating in order to coordinate their respective national systems for classifying mineral reserves, and the possibility of cooperating with other countries is under consideration, State Commission for Mineral Resource Reserves (GKZ) head Igor Shpurov told reporters on Monday in Novosibirsk.

"There is rather active collaboration with China on coordinating. I think that we will present a case study this year based on the UN FC [framework classification] for comparison of the Russian and Chinese classifications. [...] The Chinese side also wants the process; they are also rendering the corresponding proposals," Shpurov said.

Shpurov also said that several agreements were signed with various countries in 2023 on mutually recognizing classifications, including with countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

"Not only is coordinating classifications very important to us, a unified community of experts is also important, which would allow us to evaluate reserves on a single methodological basis," Shpurov said.

"Here we see very great prospects for cooperation with BRICS in terms of both coordinating classifications and in terms of creating a unified platform for assessing reserves based on corresponding classifications coordinated with each other," Shpurov said.

Russia and China are the most prepared to create the platform, Shpurov clarified.

"Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus are close. [...] African countries are showing interest, and India is showing interest," Shpurov said.

The platform will be based on the framework classification for minerals and on a series of documents linked to national classifications.