Representatives from Catamarca's mining sector were present at PDAC 2024, the premier global convention for exploration and mining held in Toronto, Canada. The provincial delegation, headed by Minister of Mining Marcelo Murúa, actively participated in this leading event for the sector, which brought together international companies, investors and mining organizations.
Since the first day of the forum, Murúa and Fernanda Ávila, national deputy and former Secretary of Mining of the Nation, were present in various key activities where they promoted the mining attractiveness of the region, especially in the metal and lithium sectors. Ávila and Murúa participated in the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development, where they presented on Argentina's mining reality and the transparency programs implemented to ensure access to information.
The Catamarca delegation also held significant bilateral meetings, such as the one with José Fernández, Undersecretary of Economic and Energy Development at the US Department of State. This meeting discussed the formation of the Minerals Security Partnership, a group aimed at promoting the development of key mining projects, such as those related to lithium and copper, resources of great relevance to Argentina and especially the Catamarca region.
Furthermore, the groundwork was laid for a joint work agenda, with the aim of identifying existing projects that could be developed collaboratively. In this regard, the possibility of having local production from the Lithium Region, comprised of Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca, was proposed, which was recently agreed upon with the Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies.
Another highlight was the meeting with the Secretary of Mines of India, Kantha Rao, who highlighted the relationship between his country and Catamarca in the mining sector and expressed interest in deepening it. Additionally, India's geological technical service offered support to advance geological studies in the region.
On the international front, the Catamarca delegation also engaged with representatives from the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development (IGF), reinforcing ties for technical cooperation in good practices in the governance of mineral resources. This adds to the international support programs developed by Catamarca during the 2022-2023 period, covering topics such as gender policies and transparency in information.
Finally, Minister Murúa participated in a panel exclusively dedicated to Argentina, addressing topics such as federal policy, mining prospects, and current political, social, economic, and legal changes in the country. In this instance, experiences and projects were shared among representatives from Catamarca, Salta, Jujuy, and San Juan, highlighting the diversity and potential of each jurisdiction.
