Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 3 August (BelTA) - Many mineral deposits can still be found in Belarus, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Andrei Kovkhuto said in an interview with the STV channel, BelTA has learned.

"The territory of Belarus has been explored quite well. Almost all deposits, which are on the surface, have already been discovered. However, we still have unexplored places deep in the earth, and there are plenty of them. So to say that we know all about the subsoil riches of the country is not quite right. We are confident that a lot of deposits can still be found in the country," said Andrei Kovkhuto.

According to the minister, Belarus has a rich experience in geological exploration of subsurface resources which can be used abroad. “We are talking about exporting services and works to other countries,” he explained.

According to Andrei Kovkhuto, potash fertilizers remain a strategic raw material for Belarus’ economic development. “We possess big volumes of potash salts. There are three large deposits in the country, i.e. Starobinskoye, Petrikovskoye and Oktyabrskoye fields. The raw material base is huge. Over 7.5 billion tonnes of salts have been explored so far and there are still big reserves,” he added.