Gold diggers say Russia's gold output to grow in 2003

The volume of gold production in Russia will increase by 10-15 tons to the level of 190 tons in 2003, Viktor Tarakanovsky, the Chairman of the Russian union of gold diggers, told RosBusinessConsulting today. According to him, the advance in the volume of gold production will be due to the launching of new enterprises and modernization of old facilities in the Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Chukotsky and Amur regions and in Yakutia.

According to the union's estimations, Russia's gold output amounted to 175 tons last year.