ERG: Chinese companies critical to several projects

The Belt and Road Initiative will fuel momentum for Eurasian Resources Group - the Kazakhstan government-controlled and diversified international mining company - to push ahead with several key projects in which Chinese companies play a critical role, its Chief Executive Officer Benedikt Sobotka said.

These include doubling the capacity of an aluminum plant in Kazakhstan, where the company started its business, building an integrated logistics network for an iron ore mine in Brazil and expanding cobalt production assets in Africa, Sobotka said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia 2017, Sobotka said Beijing's initiative to strengthen ties among Eurasian economies was not just a political idea but a substantial business opportunity that has been put into reality.