A RUSSIAN delegation representing that country’s Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is currently in Guyana to discuss mining opportunities and possible collaboration here.

The Russian team on Wednesday met with officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and will continue meetings with stakeholders today.

The two-day meeting is a follow-up from a previous meeting held in Russian sometime in October 2016. The respective ministries and agencies of the two countries have agreed to meet on a yearly basis to advance areas of cooperation, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement Wednesday.

“Among the issues to be discussed are the provision of assistance in scientific and technical knowledge of drawing up, compiling and analysing Guyana’s baseline geological, topographic and metallogenic maps; assistance in the compiling/analysis and reporting of historical and current geological, topographic and metallogenic data and assistance in delineating lands according to resources for specific types/sizes of mining,” the ministry said.

Stakeholders will also address the provision of satellite geological surveys and monitoring, the training of mining officers at Russian Geological Institute and enterprises and the development of small hydropower in Guyana.

Guyana’s team includes Clayton Hall, Technical Officer Mines, Ministry of Natural Resources; Euliene Watson, acting Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; Dianne McDonald; and GGMC’s Manager Geological Services, Gordon Nestor.

The Russian team comprises head of the Federal Agency of Subsoil Management, Sergey Aksenov; Deputy Head of Division of Bilateral Cooperation, Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation, Anna Khurshidova; Russian Ambassador to Guyana Nikolay Smirnov; and officials of the Russian Friendship University and Russian Bauxite Company, RUSAL.