Toronto, March 2, 2025 – The largest international convention organized by the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC 2025) has officially opened.

As part of the event, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkhan, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Renat Bekturov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Canada Dauletbek Kussainov, and PDAC Vice President Karen Rees inaugurated the national pavilion showcasing Kazakhstan’s geological potential.

One of the key highlights of the opening day was the international forum “Meet Kazakhstan: The Power of Geology in the Ninth Largest Nation.” The Vice Minister spoke during the first session of the forum.

“Kazakhstan has a rich historical legacy and deep-rooted traditions in geological exploration and mining, as well as abundant natural resources, including promising deposits of critical minerals such as lithium, niobium, and tantalum. We are working to create favorable conditions for investment and collaboration with both local and international partners. As we continue to develop this sector, we are actively integrating new exploration and mining technologies. At the same time, we place strong emphasis on environmental protection in the context of geological exploration, extraction, and mineral processing” – emphasized Iran Sharkhan.

The panel featured leading international experts in the mining and metallurgy sector, including Rinaldo Jeanty, Assistant Deputy Minister for Lands and Minerals, Vasileios Tsianos, Vice President of Corporate Development, Neo Performance Materials, Conrad Blake, Managing Director for Minerals, HATCH, Madalina Ivanica, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission Delegation.

On the same day, a high-level roundtable on financial opportunities in the mining sector was convened. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Canada in partnership with Wood Mackenzie and brought together representatives of international financial institutions, investment banks, and private sector stakeholders. The roundtable was opened with welcoming remarks by Renat Bekturov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), who provided an overview of the Centre’s strategic initiatives and activities.

PDAC 2025 continued until March 5, during which the Kazakh delegation actively held meetings with partners and representatives of leading global mining companies.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-ottawa/press/news/details/962446?lang=kk