Azerbaijani deposits were illegally exploited by a number of foreign companies during the years of occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, Chairman of the Geological Exploration Agency Ali Aliyev said during a media briefing.
These are Canada's Sterlite Gold Ltd and First Dynasty Mines, Switzerland's Base Metals and Vallex Group, Russia's GeoProMining, the US' Global Gold, India's Vedanta Vedanta Resources and Armenia's Armenian Copper Program, co-owned by entrepreneurs from Sweden and Liechtenstein.
In particular, he said that there were 112.5 tons of mineral resources in the Soyudlu deposit (Kalbajar), 6.5 tons of gold, 10.75 tons of silver, about 4,000 tons of copper at the Vezhnali deposit (Zangilan), 457,000 tons of copper at the Damirli deposit (Karabakh), and 13.7 tons of gold at the Gizilbulagh deposit (Karabakh).
Aliyev noted that, however, the specific volume of deposits currently illegally exploited by Armenians is unknown. Calculations are currently underway.
"The relevant state institutions have prepared an appeal to international organizations regarding the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources," Aliyev said.
