The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoev congratulated the employees of the sector on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine – the foundation of the uranium industry in the country.
At the beginning of the greeting, the President noted that gold, natural uranium and other rare mineral resources extracted from the Kizilkum mine, which are recognized on a world scale, are of incomparable strategic importance in ensuring the economic development of the country.
At the same time, he said that this combine, where nearly 50,000 highly qualified workers, engineers and specialists of more than 40 nationalities are working, and “Navoiyuran” enterprise, which separated from its structure 3 years ago, are achieving positive results.
“In the following years, due to the great attention paid to the development of the industry and the rapid introduction of modern technologies into production, the combine rose from the 7th to the 4th place among the leading foreign companies in gold production. The “Muruntov” mine occupies the top positions in international rankings,” said the head of state.
Among these, Mirziyoev emphasized that 23 large investment projects, including the 5th, 6th and 7th hydrometallurgical plants, the second phase of the 2nd hydrometallurgical plant, were launched at the combine, and more than 15,000 new jobs were created.
“As a result of such efforts, it should be noted that the volume of gold production this year increased by 25%, natural uranium by 20%, and silver by 46% compared to 2016. Today, Uzbekistan ranks 5th in the world in terms of uranium mining. “Navoiyuran” state enterprise directs 100% of its products to export.
As part of the localization program, the necessary equipment and facilities for new capacities are being produced in the region itself. This is confirmed by the fact that more than 15,000 types of import-substitute products are manufactured annually at the Navoi machine-building plant alone,” said the President.
It was also mentioned that the material-technical base and scientific-pedagogical potential of the Navoi State University of Mining and Technologies is being strengthened in order to supply qualified engineers for the industry, and the complex technological processes are mainly managed by young Uzbeks educated in such universities.
“I believe that you, dear ones, who dedicated your life to such an important field, will continue to work with great effort to continue the glorious labor traditions of your communities and further increase the fame of our country’s mining industry.”
I congratulate you once again on today’s auspicious day and wish you all good health, family happiness, and great success in your noble activities,” said Mirziyoev.
