MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2018) Russia and South Africa have signed a cooperation program for exploration, production and processing of minerals until 2025, as well as a road map for projects concerning platinum group metals, Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dmitry Kobylkin said on Wednesday.
"Today, a road map has been signed for the implementation of priority areas of cooperation with the Republic of South Africa in the field of cooperation on platinum group metals, as well as a program of Russian-South African cooperation in the field of exploration, mining, processing, and processing of mineral resources for the period up to 2025," Kobylkin said in the framework of the Russian-South African Intergovernmental Commission.
South Africa is by far the world's largest platinum producer with over 70 percent of the 6 million ounces global production in 2017, while Russia was ranked second with slightly over 10 percent of that amount, according to Johnson Matthey consultancy. The two countries are also top producers of platinum's sister metal palladium, each accounting for about 40 percent of 6.6 million ounces of global production in 2017.
The two precious metals are most widely used in catalytic converters, which are installed in cars to reduce harmful emissions. They are also widely used in jewelry and medicine.
