Russia, South Africa discuss the creation of BRICS geological platform

Senior officials from Russia and South Africa discussed the creation of a BRICS "geological platform" during a working meeting, said the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia on Monday, as reported by Trinity Mirror, a partner of TV BRICS.

"Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov met with the chief executive officer of the Council of Geo science of South Africa, Mosa Mabuza. The main topic of the conversation was the creation of a "geological platform" for BRICS member countries," said the ministry in a statement.

"The geological platform will strengthen cooperation among the geological services of the BRICS countries. These are Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa. We will all get data on each other's mineral reserves and mining technologies. This is important because the demand for subsoil resources in the new economy is growing by leaps and bounds. Platinum, copper, aluminium, nickel, lithium, cobalt, rare earth metals. We all need to explore new territories, taking into account each other's experience, technology and knowledge", said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov.

The Ministry of Natural Resources specified that the first steps in establishing the platform should be an expert meeting and a meeting of the heads of geological services of the BRICS countries. After that a memorandum should be prepared and a cooperation programme should be approved. "It should include specific areas, forms and types of both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, depending on the objectives of each BRICS country," the ministry said.

"The creation of a 'geological platform' is one indicator of our friendship and long-term cooperation. Practical steps in development will breathe life into the dry science of geology. This will benefit all the BRICS countries," stressed Mosa Maabuza the chief executive officer of the Council of Geo science of South Africa

Kozlov said that the geological platform will be discussed at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission of Russia and South Africa on 30 March.

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