The Zafar deposit is estimated to contain 51,000 tonnes of copper, 82,000 ounces of gold, and 40,000 tonnes of zinc.

Nestled between the Pamir and Alay Mountains ranges, the landlocked country of Tajikistan has garnered little attention in the Western press since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Net profit increased to 403.4 million lari ($130 million) in the first half of the year from 69.2 million lari in the same period last year.