Levan Vepkhvadze, Adviser to the General Director of "Georgian Industrial Group" participated in the work of the Global Mountain Congress, which was held in Astana on June 19-21. Particular interest of the Georgian industrial group was related to a plenary session dedicated to the production of coal mines, organized by the United Nations Economic Council in Europe.New approaches and technologies related to the obtaining of methane from the coal layers and its use for commercial purpose were discussed at the plenary session. The meeting was attended by leading experts and the largest coal companies in the world.
At the meeting it was decided that in April 2019 a working group meeting of UN experts working on methane will be held in Georgia to discuss the needs that are related to the production of coal and methane in technological point of view. The UN Expert Group will also invite the representatives of large companies interested in investment opportunities in the region, which would have a significant push to bring in modern technology of coal extraction in Georgia.In addition to the plenary meeting, the bilateral meeting was held with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of China's largest coal producer Shanxi Coking Coal Group, Mr. Liu Ziangao, where new approaches to obtaining coal and methane in Mindeli mines were discussed, which, on the one hand, should increase production and, on the other hand, provide maximum safety of employees. In addition, the meeting was held with the Deputy Director General of UMG Investment, Andrey Garanin, the largest Ukrainian investment group, where the sides agreed that the Ukrainian group representatives will visit Georgia and discuss the joint investment project opportunities in the nearest future.