ISLAMABAD: As interest in Pakistan’s mineral resources grows internationally, Australia and Pakistan have talked about increasing bilateral collaboration in the mining and gemstone industries. On Tuesday, Timothy Kane, the recently appointed Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, met with Ali Pervaiz Malik, the Federal Minister for Petroleum. The two officials’ discussions centered on how to improve bilateral collaboration in the mining and gemstone industries. In addition to highlighting Pakistan’s mostly unexplored mineral resources, especially in the Tethyan Belt, Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik suggested an intergovernmental agreement to establish a formal framework for collaboration between the two nations.
Along with outlining government initiatives to formalize the gemstones industry, he described it as a potential source of employment, value addition, and exports. The Reko Diq copper and gold project already involves Australian corporations, according to the Australian High Commissioner, who also stated that further companies have expressed interest in participating. He continued by saying that participation in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum would be encouraged for Australian businesses. According to Timothy Kane, Pakistan’s mining industry has drawn more attention from around the world due to the rising demand for copper and gold brought on in part by the energy revolution. He was upbeat about collaboration in the gemstone sector through education, technical support, and information exchange.
The Federal Minister described Australia’s willingness to assist Pakistan in formalizing the mineral sector as timely and comforting. For mutual gain, both parties reiterated their dedication to enhancing mining and gemstone cooperation between Pakistan and Australia.
