According to two sources familiar with the matter, India has reinitiated conversations with the resource-rich Southern African nation of Zambia regarding potential investments in copper and other critical minerals.
Both sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the non-public nature of the conversation, stated that officials from India’s Ministry of Mines conducted preliminary discussions with their Zambian counterparts on August 26.
"We believe Indian companies should primarily be encouraged to pursue brownfield and near-production projects, along with long-term offtake arrangements," a spokesperson for the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries said, as seen on Reuters.
This renewed diplomatic engagement follows previous obstacles in negotiations between the two nations.
As reported in April, India’s discussions with Zambia over access to critical mineral resources have stalled due to a lack of assurances from Lusaka on mining rights, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
