Spanish
Russian President Vladimir Putin received this Tuesday the Russian billionaire businessman, Vladimir Potanin, whose business, Norilsk Nickel, is dedicated to the extraction in Siberia of rare metals such as nickel and palladium.
"We have platinum group metals, gold and numerous rare metals that completely cover the needs of our country. We successfully sell any surplus to the international market," Potanin declared in his conversation with the Russian leader, broadcast on state television.
The Russian oligarch lamented the difficult conditions under which the company has been operating in recent years, such as the global price drop, logistical problems due to Western sanctions following the war in Ukraine, and the consequent need to reorient the market.
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"Despite everything, Norilsk Nickel maintains its global leadership in the production of nickel, platinum group metals and other raw materials. In addition, we have organized stable production in all our key metals over the last five years," added Potanin. Meanwhile, Putin worried about the environmental impact of the company, which was already responsible for several catastrophes such as toxic spills. Norilsk Nickel, whose main plants are located in the industrial region of Norilsk (in the Arctic Circle), the Kola Peninsula, the Lake Baikal area and Finland, is the world's largest producer of palladium and high-quality nickel. Potanin owns 37% of the shares, while its founder, the oligarch Oleg Deripaska, owns 26.39%.
