Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.27/ Trend F.Milad/
Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari has said that Iran holds two per cent of the world's total mineral reserves, the Jahan-e Sanat Persian language daily reported.
He added that the mineral reserves include 12 metal and 36 non-metal ores.
Some 5000 mines are being exploited in the country, he said, adding that around 340 million tons of minerals were extracted in the past Iranian year which ended on March 19.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organisation Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves, Press TV reported.
Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.
"Iran is among the 10 top countries in the cement industry, thirteenth in the car industry, seventeeth in steel and among the top 10 in the copper industry, "said Ghazanfari earlier this month.
He added that some 51,000 mining projects have been carried out during the past seven years, the ISNA News Agency reported.
The managing director of National Iranian Copper Industries Company has said that some 235,000 tons of copper was produced over the past year.
Ardeshir Sa'ad Mohammadi added that the NICICO plans to produce 700,000 tons of copper during the current year, Press TV reported.
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