Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, in an interview with RIA Novosti ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), summed up the results of geological exploration, spoke about international cooperation and the conservation of rare species. The forum will be held from September 1 to 4 in Vladivostok, with RIA Novosti as its general information partner.
According to the minister, the tourist flow between Russia and the DPRK has been steadily growing over the past three years, although the overall figures are still small. Active work in this direction resumed only in 2024 after pandemic restrictions. The greatest interest in trips to the DPRK is shown by residents of the Far East, which is due to geographical proximity. The Korean airline Air Koryo operates three flights a week from Vladivostok to Pyongyang, and they are in demand. Interest in the destination is also noted among residents of central regions, as evidenced by the load of the Moscow-Pyongyang flight. Russian Railways offers a five-day tourist route "To Korea" from Vladivostok via Tumangan to Rason and back.
Russia is interested in developing regular bus service with the DPRK. Companies of Primorsky Krai are considering the possibility of launching passenger transportation to the Rason special economic zone. However, to start, it is necessary to complete the construction of a road bridge across the Tumannaya River and border and customs infrastructure.
Kozlov noted that the DPRK attracts tourists with its nature and cultural heritage. Among the recreation options are ecotourism, ethnotourism, hiking and horse tours, road trips and river rafting. A major project will be the international route "Great Tea Road", which is being developed jointly with Mongolia and China and will contribute to the revival of cultural heritage.
In the sphere of investment partnership with Mongolia, energy, geological exploration and infrastructure stand out. In particular, the modernization of the Ulaanbaatar Thermal Power Plant-3 using Russian equipment is planned. Negotiations are also underway on joint geological research in border areas to assess mineral resources and possible development of deposits.
Russia is increasing cooperation with African countries. Rosgeologia is searching for groundwater in Libya within the Sahara Desert, conducting geological mapping and mineral exploration in Sudan, Chad, Benin, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The results of these works, which began in 2026, will be known by the end of the year. Issues of new projects in geological exploration are planned to be discussed at the Russia-Africa summit, which will be held on October 28-29 in Moscow.
Algeria is rich in uranium, copper and manganese, and Russian companies offer a wide range of geological services. At the end of June, at a working group meeting, an agreement was reached to develop a roadmap for cooperation in geology and subsoil use, including the study of Algeria's mineral resource base and educational programs for Algerian specialists.
Russia already cooperates with Algeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, the Republic of Guinea, Sudan, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Morocco. In May, the first meeting of the working group with the Central African Republic took place, and it is planned to strengthen ties with Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and other countries.
Speaking about the conservation of rare animals, Kozlov emphasized that the revival of the Amur tiger population in Kazakhstan is part of the common efforts of Russia and other countries. The tiger's range covers 13 Asian states, and it can be preserved only together. Russia plays a key role, as almost the entire population of the Amur tiger lives here. The country is open to cooperation on the conservation of not only the tiger, but also the snow leopard, bison, falcons, Siberian crane, Mongolian gazelle, argali and other species.
The Red Book of Russia includes 443 animal species, of which 19 species require special attention and are included in the national project "Ecological Well-being". These are the Amur tiger, Far Eastern and Persian leopards, polar bear, bison, saiga, Siberian crane, snow leopard, argali, Mongolian gazelle, Przewalski's horse, Okhotsk populations of gray and Greenland whales, desman, reindeer, bustard and falcons (saker falcon, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon). Separate conservation strategies are being developed for them. Last year, a strategy for the Russian desman was approved, and by November, strategies for the saker falcon and snow leopard will be ready.
Comprehensive measures are yielding results: the number of bison in Russia has exceeded 3,000 individuals, and the saiga population in the Chernye Zemli Nature Reserve has grown to 60,000. The issue of raising the protection category of the Caspian seal is being considered, but the final decision will be made after a scientific assessment.
Regarding the trade in wild animals, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Rosprirodnadzor, the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Economic Development, Roskomnadzor and the Ministry of Finance are working on legislative regulation of online trade and out-of-court blocking of advertisements. The law prohibits keeping animals from a special list, including venomous snakes, large primates, bears and wolves. Violations are not widespread, but isolated cases, such as keeping lion cubs, do occur; the animals are confiscated. If an animal is not on the prohibited list, keeping it is legal.
In geological exploration, the second stage of the project "Geology: Revival of a Legend" is aimed at finding scarce types of raw materials. In 2022, out of 58 solid mineral sites, only five were scarce (tungsten, graphite, fluorspar, titanium, uranium), and in 2026, out of 52 sites, 25 are already scarce: tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, lithium, beryllium, manganese and chromium ores, uranium, graphite, fluorspar. Work is underway in the Far East, Siberia and Central Russia. In Yakutia, uranium, tungsten and graphite are being sought; in Buryatia - uranium, tungsten and beryllium; in Transbaikalia and the Jewish Autonomous Okrug - uranium; in Krasnoyarsk Krai - lithium and fluorspar; in Altai - manganese ores; in Khakassia - molybdenum; in Tomsk and Tambov oblasts - titanium and zirconium. Geological exploration for hydrocarbons is underway at 23 sites, including work in Komi, Yakutia, Saratov and Omsk oblasts, Krasnoyarsk Krai and on the shelf of the Bering and Okhotsk seas.
Russia is self-sufficient in its resource base and is able to meet current and future needs of the economy, and also plays an important role in the global export of mineral raw materials. However, it is important to use resources rationally, which is one of the key tasks of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Among unique fossils, Kozlov highlighted loparite ores, which are a source of niobium, rare earth metals and tantalum. They are mined only in Russia at the Lovozerskoye deposit in Murmansk Oblast. Also noted are synnyrite ores used to produce alumina and potash fertilizers; the first deposit, Kalyumnoye in Buryatia, was put on the balance sheet in 2021.
The main increase in reserves occurs at the end of the year. According to Rosnedra, an increase in gold reserves of about 1,000 tons, silver - 312 tons, coal - 969 million tons is planned. For rare earth metals, no increase is expected; it is important to bring discovered deposits into operation. In the first half of the year, the increase in reserves for liquid hydrocarbons amounted to 45 million tons, for gas - 155.5 billion cubic meters. By the end of the year, full reproduction of reserves is expected.
Over seven months of 2026, reserves of 105 solid mineral deposits in the Far East were put on the state balance sheet. Among significant discoveries is the Televaam gold deposit in Chukotka with reserves of 26.7 tons of gold and 292 tons of silver. At 150 already discovered deposits, an increase in reserves was obtained: 102.4 million carats of diamonds, 103 tons of gold, 807.8 tons of silver, 32.2 thousand tons of copper, 12.6 thousand tons of lead, 26.3 thousand tons of zinc. Significant increases at the Udachnaya pipe in Yakutia - 98.5 million carats of diamonds, at the Kupol deposit in Chukotka - 36.3 tons of gold and 406.7 tons of silver, at the Kutynskoye in Khabarovsk Krai - 31.4 tons of gold and 32.7 tons of silver, at the Darasunskoye in Transbaikalia - 57.1 tons of silver, 32.2 tons of copper and 1,000 tons of bismuth. At the Buyundinskoye in Magadan Oblast, reserves increased by 12.6 thousand tons of lead, 26.3 thousand tons of zinc, 0.3 thousand tons of tin, 2.7 tons of gold and 265.4 tons of silver.
This year, seven new deposits have been discovered, including the large gas condensate field named after N. I. Grigoriev in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug with reserves of 50.2 billion cubic meters of gas and the medium oil and gas condensate field Pugachevskoye in Orenburg Oblast with 5.4 billion cubic meters of gas. The remaining deposits are located in the Volga, Southern and North Caucasian federal districts.
Increases in scarce raw materials are planned: bauxite - 320 thousand tons, molybdenum - 3.3 thousand tons, uranium - 20.8 thousand tons, titanium - 165 thousand tons, zirconium - 12 thousand tons. For zirconium, actual increases have already been obtained at the Gora Yuzhnaya deposit in Murmansk Oblast.