March 7 (Reuters) - Russia is working with authorities in the impoverished West African nation of Guinea to settle a labor dispute that hit output of gold at a mine run by Russian company Nordgold, Moscow said on Tuesday.
The foreign ministry said a labor dispute at the Lefa mine, where around 8 tons of gold were mined in 2022, had hampered work and threatened the safety of employees. Union activists had blocked access to the mine and damaged property, it said.
"The situation has been partially calmed down thanks to the intervention of the Guinean leadership, which was promptly approached by the Russian Embassy in Conakry," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Through contacts with our Guinean colleagues, we are continuing efforts to ensure the normalization of the situation," it added, saying the blockages had been lifted.
Guinea's ambassador to Moscow told the ministry on Tuesday that his government was taking all possible measures to resolve the conflict, it said.
The Lefa mine, located 700 km northeast of Conakry, accounted for 17% of Nordgold's total production in 2020.
Nordgold, which is under U.S. sanctions, also operates two gold mines in Burkina Faso. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler)
