The Future of the Mining Industry in Focus: Key Takeaways from the Chamber’s Participation in MMCA 2026

The Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines traditionally took an active part in Mining and Metals Central Asia (MMCA 2026), held in Almaty on September 16–18. This year, the Chamber was represented across several key platforms of the forum — from plenary discussions to international meetings, with the Chamber’s own strategic session serving as the central event.

On September 16, Chamber President Ruslan Baimishev spoke at the plenary session “The Future of Kazakhstan’s Mining and Metallurgical Industry: Critical Minerals, Projects and New Growth Opportunities” and also took part in the Canadian Session “Canadian Expertise and Solutions for the Global Mining Industry”, where he presented the Chamber and its vision for the development of Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical industry in the coming years. MMCA remains an important platform for establishing new international contacts. During the exhibition, the Chamber held a number of meetings with associations, companies and potential partners.

The Industry Needs Direct Dialogue

The Chamber’s central event was the open strategic session “The New Political Architecture of Kazakhstan and the Future of the Mining Industry” held on September 17. Representatives of the Kurultai, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, mining and exploration companies that are Chamber members, industry associations and the legal community came together at one table (a summary of the meeting is attached: Summary KCM MMCA26 170926).

The discussion focused openly on the issues that matter most to the industry today: predictability of legislation, the quality and accessibility of geological information, taxation of exploration activities, environmental regulation, downstream processing and the effectiveness of interaction between businesses and government authorities. The discussion produced specific proposals — from establishing a “single window” for subsoil use to drawing on international experience in making geological data publicly accessible and reforming the competent authority.

The main conclusion of the session was that the industry needs not only reforms, but also an ongoing direct dialogue between business, the Kurultai and the state. The Chamber intends to continue developing this platform.

At the session, the Chamber also announced RG Gold as a strategic sponsor of the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines. The Chamber’s participation in MMCA 2026 was traditionally supported by Solidcore Resources and AQS.

We thank our partners, speakers and Chamber members for their active participation. MMCA has come to an end — the dialogue continues.