Copper smelter could be constructed in Armenia 

ArmInfo.The construction of a copper smelter is included in Armenia's mining and metallurgy development strategy and has already been accompanied by a number of effective steps. However, it is too early to talk about the start of  construction.

Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and  Infrastructure of Armenia Asatur Vardanyan told journalists this on  the sidelines of the Mining Forum Armenia.

He also noted that cooperation on this issue is currently underway  with China and Iran, which have expressed interest in considering  their participation in the construction of such a facility. However,  a concrete agreement has not yet been reached. "But we are  stimulating this process, which requires a serious economic  justification for assessing the existing resource potential,"  Vardanyan said, emphasizing that the government believes this  production can be carried out in Armenia in compliance with all  international standards.

Speaking at the Forum, the Armenian Prime Minister noted that one of  the important areas of the Strategy is creating conditions for the  deep processing of metallurgical raw materials and the production of  finished products.

The idea of creating a smelter in Armenia is not new. Back in the  mid-2010s, a group was working in the country to study this issue and  develop a feasibility study for the construction of a plant in the  Syunik region. At that time, the total investment volume was  estimated at $3-3.5 billion. However, the main challenges to the  efficiency of such production were the lack of local raw materials,  the availability of inexpensive electricity, and inefficient  logistics.