Kyrgyzstan begins development of massive titanium ore deposit

Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday began developing a massive mineral deposit containing titanium, a metal widely used in the aerospace industry, in a bid to boost the Central Asian country's fragile economy.

Mountainous Kyrgyzstan, like other former Soviet republics in the region, is rich in natural resources.

"This is a very important event for Kyrgyzstan. The Kyzy-Ompol deposit contains millions of tonnes of titanomagnetites," Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov said at the launch ceremony, referring to minerals that can be processed to extract titanium.

International interest in Central Asia's natural resources has vastly increased as Russia faces heavy sanctions over its Ukraine offensive and has seen its influence decrease in the region.

"Titanium is a precious metal used in a variety of industries, including medicine, aviation and the space industry," Japarov said, adding that developing the site would help economic growth.

Developing the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit in the north of the country -- which also contains uranium in small quantities -- was made possible after a ban on uranium mining was lifted in 2019.

There had previously been anti-nuclear protests in the country, which is still suffering the consequences of Soviet uranium mining, with 92 sites containing several million cubic metres of toxic and radioactive waste.

In Central Asia, nuclear waste decontamination operations are being carried out jointly with Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, which is also in the running to build the first nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.