THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY AMM CONGRESS HAS COMMENCED IN ASTANA, BRINGING TOGETHER 1,300 DELEGATES FROM 20 COUNTRIES TO DISCUSS KEY INDUSTRY ISSUES
ON JUNE 4, THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL MINING AND METALLURGY CONGRESS ASTANA MINING & METALLURGY – AMM 2025 WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED IN KAZAKHSTAN’S CAPITAL AT THE HILTON ASTANA HOTEL.
The Congress has traditionally served as the main platform for strategic dialogue among the government, business sector, international partners, and the expert community. The anniversary of the Congress and its symbolic alignment with the Year of Working professions, declared in Kazakhstan, added special significance to the event, highlighting the inextricable link between the development of human capital and the technological transformation of the mining and metallurgy sector.
In 2025, the Congress is hosting 1,300 delegates from 20 countries, including representatives from Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union, Spain, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, Mongolia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Finland, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Chile, Japan, and Tajikistan. This broad international representation once again confirms AMM’s strong reputation as a strategic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and partnership building.
On the first day of the Congress, discussions focused on key directions for the development of the industry. Particular attention was drawn to the Plenary Session titled “Transformation of the Mining and Metallurgical Complex: Responding to Global Challenges and Market Changes”. Amid intensified competition for access to raw materials, exploration areas, and strategic resources, speakers explored new approaches to sustainable development, supply diversification policies, and investment attraction. The session was moderated by Albert Rau, Deputy Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Speakers included Iran Sharkan, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Liu Yu, Chairman of the Board of NFC; Gart Kirkham, President of CRIRSCO; Serik Shakhazhanov, General Director of Eurasian Group LLP; Zaure Zaurbekova, Member of the Management Board – Deputy Chairman for Finance and Strategic Development of Qarmet JSC; Tina Armstrong, Global Managing Director of Hatch; and Sergey Sokolov, Partner at McKinsey & Company.
In his welcome speech, Deputy Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Albert Rau, emphasized: “Over the past 15 years, the Congress has become the most important forum for the mining and metallurgical industry – a platform where significant industry projects are presented, strategic agreements are signed, and pressing issues and reforms are discussed. Over these 15 years, the AMM platform has hosted 14,908 congress delegates from 62 countries, 830 exhibitors, 1,625 speakers, and 1,662 B2B meetings”.
In his speech, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Iran Sharkan, emphasized: “In 2024, the share of the mining and metallurgical complex (MMC) in GDP amounted to 8%, and the volume of manufactured products exceeded 14.3 trillion tenge. Investments increased by 12% and reached $3.6 billion. Exports totaled $21.4 billion. In the near future, five major investment projects are planned for implementation, with a total value exceeding 3.5 trillion tenge and the creation of approximately 8,000 jobs. Over the past 10 years, gold ore production has increased by 2.2 times, and the production of refined gold has doubled. This has allowed Kazakhstan to enter the TOP 20 countries in the world in terms of gold reserves. These indicators reflect the high level of industry development and its strong integration with the global economy.”
The Minister also stated that in 2025, Kazakhstan will launch the country’s first tungsten production facility. Technologies for producing heat-resistant nickel alloys, gallium, and intermetallic compounds are being developed. A future priority is the localization of chemical and technological processing stages, as well as the production of strategically important components. I. Sharkan emphasized that Kazakhstan is steadily moving toward the comprehensive development of the industry.
As part of the Congress, b2b meetings actively commenced throughout the day, with a total of 387 b2b meetings scheduled. These sessions are aimed at fostering partnerships and implementing joint initiatives.
Among the key events within the framework of AMM 2025 was an intergovernmental meeting, during which the Director for Industrial Policy of the European Commission, Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, officially announced the inclusion of the “Sarytogan” project in the list of strategic projects of the European Union.
The assignment of this status means that the European Commission has initiated the process of attracting investment for the development of the “Sarytogan” project. According to estimates, total capital expenditures are projected to range from USD 62 million to USD 344 million. In addition, the European Commission expressed its readiness to support the Kazakh enterprise in concluding offtake agreements with European partners, which will ensure stable sales channels and enhance the investment appeal of the project.
Given the significance of this decision, an official ceremony was held as part of AMM 2025 to mark the granting of the status, with the participation of media representatives.
The “Sarytogan” project is regarded as a key element in strengthening the industrial partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as part of the EU-wide strategy to ensure stable supplies of critical raw materials essential for the green and digital transition of the European Union.
Alongside the Congress, the exhibition also commenced. Honorary guests and speakers of the Plenary Session took part in a VIP tour to explore the AMM 2025 exhibition. The AMM 2025 exhibition brought together 50 companies from 12 countries, including Germany, Kazakhstan, Canada, Cyprus, China, Russia, the USA, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Japan. Among the participants were 35 Kazakhstani companies, highlighting the growing local production and technological potential. The international segment featured 15 companies showcasing modern solutions for the mining and metallurgical sector, including automation, digital twins, occupational safety systems, and sustainable processing technologies.
As part of the Congress, 6 strategic panel sessions were held. The sessions covered the following topics: “Technogenic Mineral Formations and Waste Processing: Best Cases of Effective Resource Management,” “The Role of Geopolitical Changes in ESG Trends,” “Kazakhstan’s Mining and Metallurgical Sector — Overcoming Challenges,” “Strategic Hub of Central Asia: Kazakhstan as Part of the Global Critical Raw Materials Supply Chain,” “Ensuring Industrial Safety at Mining Enterprises of the Republic of Kazakhstan”, and “Geological Exploration in Kazakhstan – Current State, Challenges, and Solutions”. These sessions served as an important intellectual platform for discussing systemic challenges, transformational processes, and priority areas for the sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical industry amid global changes.
Complementing the strategic agenda, several international sessions were held on the first day, including: “Meeting of Geological Surveys of Partner Countries,” “Unleashing Potential – Sweden and Kazakhstan: Sustainable Mining, Digital Solutions, and Green Transformation,” “New Technologies, Expertise, and Modern Solutions — All in One: Canada’s Best for Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector,” and “The United Kingdom and Kazakhstan: A Case of Bilateral Cooperation”. These sessions contributed to strengthening international dialogue, promoting technology transfer, and shaping unified approaches to digitalization, decarbonization, and sustainable development of the mining and metallurgical sector both regionally and globally. The CNMC and NFC Investment Road Show: Kazakhstan – China served as an important platform to showcase investment potential and deepen production and technological cooperation between the two countries.
In parallel, a PR lunch was held in an informal and friendly atmosphere, where leading industry media outlets of Kazakhstan, press service representatives, and PR specialists discussed key issues related to reputation management and crisis communications.
Tomorrow, on June 5, the second day of the AMM Congress will feature the 6th Forum of Gold Industry Professionals of Kazakhstan, the 6th Forum of Kazakhstan's Coal Industry, the Congress of Jewelers of Kazakhstan, and panel sessions on the following topics: “Mining and Metallurgy in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: New Discoveries,” “Adjacent Technologies in the Mining and Metallurgical Industry – Enhancing Extraction Efficiency,” “In-Country Value and Cross-Sector Cooperation,” and “Unveiling Investment Opportunities: Financing Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector”. Special sessions will be held for GR specialists, where participants will share case studies and discuss challenges and opportunities for government relations. The HR, PR, GR meet-up will foster quality business connections with representatives of the public sector and provide a platform to discuss crisis communication strategies. The business program will conclude with a foresight session in the format of an interview featuring moderators of the panel discussions on key topics.
The event was organized by the Kazakhstani exhibition company ITECA and its international partner, the ICA Events Group.
The State Partner: Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Gold Partners: Eurasian Group (ERG), Solidcore Resources, KAZ Minerals, Kazzinc, CoreX Holding, Kazakhmys. Silver Partners: Komatsu Central Asia, Hatch, Qarmet. Bronze Partners: Telko Central Asia, SGS Kazakhstan, Fakoor Sanat Tehran Engineering, Dassault Systèmes, Beeline Business Kazakhstan, TURANINDUSTRIAL.
