Syrian geological Institute and the Russian company Stroytransgaz signed an agreement on joint production of phosphates in the mine of al-sharqiya in the desert of Palmyra, announced March 27, the Syrian newspaper "al-Watan".
The publication, citing a source in the geological survey of Syria reports that a mutually beneficial contract provides for the joint manufacture of phosphate for 50 years. It is also stated that from the stock of minerals in the amount of 105 million tonnes available to the mine annually can be fetched 2.2 million tonnes.
An anonymous official stressed technical development reached by the Russian company "Stroytransgaz". He said that the new Russian-Syrian agreement signed in the framework of strengthening economic cooperation between the governments of friendly countries.
Syria produces annually 3.5 million tonnes of phosphates using mine in the fields of al-Shakria and Hanafis. Before the outbreak of hostilities in March 2011, the country was among the five world leaders in the export of phosphates.
