Russian experts to tackle Kyrgyz “golden glacier”

Independent Russian experts will be examining the impact of the activity of Centerra Gold Inc. on deglaciation (melting of glacier) in the area of the Kumtor gold deposit,  Zarylbek Itibayev, the director the Hydro-Meteorological Agency of Ministry of Emergency Situation of Kyrgyzstan told a news conference on July 31.

He said a scientific-technical group has been set up at the request of the parliament and government to study the state of the glacier in the area of the Kumtor gold deposit. Independent experts from Russia have been invited to join the group to conduct a large-scale research. The group will reveal how much the activity of the Canadian gold mining company Centerra Gold Inc. is connected with the melting of the Davydov Glacier. Further decisions of the Kyrgyz authorities concerning the Canadian company depend on the verdict of the research group. 

The relations of Centerra Gold Inc. and the Kyrgyz authorities are rather complicated. The unstable political situation in the country has repeatedly affected the activity of the company that had to protect its interests every time when the new authorities tried to revise the contract terms. The local population also tries to gain dividends from the situation – with the helping hand of the authorities – and regularly paralyzes the activity of the gold mining company and makes social ultimatums to the company leadership.