Mr. Paul Kuhn reports

AVRUPA MINERALS REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN KOSOVO AND PORTUGAL

Avrupa Minerals Ltd. has provided an update on progress at drilling projects in Kosovo and Portugal. The company's partners financed two drill programs during 2017. In Kosovo, Byrnecut International Ltd. (BIL) completed an 18-hole, 6,280-metre core drilling program at the Slivovo gold project, while in Portugal Blackheath Resources Inc. (BHR) completed a single, exploratory test hole at the Covas tungsten project where Avrupa is the operator.

Slivovo gold project, Kosovo

The 2017 drill program was originally planned for 5,670 metres. The program was designed to focus on five areas of interest. These were designated as potential target areas to significantly expand the known, near-deposit mineralization modelled by BIL as part of its detailed technical study completed at the end of 2016. The study fulfilled its 85-per-cent earn-in commitment in the project. Avrupa is no longer contributing to the program and expects to be diluted to a 2-per-cent net smelter royalty in 2018. The areas of interest were designated as:

• Main gossan offset;
• Gossan extension;
• Sandstone gossan;
• Deep IP anomaly;
• Dzemail.

The targeting process for the program was assisted by utilization of data and modelling from previous work phases at Slivovo, which included:

• Four phases of historic drilling, 2014 to 2016;
• Limited, but widespread soil and rock chip sampling, 2014 to 2016;
• Focused, limited IP and EM geophysical surveys, 2016;
• Limited field mapping, 2014 to 2016;
• Structural interpretation;
• Geological modelling.

Targets were selected for viability based on three major factors:

1. IP anomalies, shallow (less than 100 metres deep) and deep (greater than 100 metres deep), identified in the 2016 geophysical program;
2. Structural and geological models based on historic drilling and geological mapping;
3. Limited-in-scope, widespread geochemical surveys.

Results from the drilling were mixed. New geological and structural information gained from the work indicated that the complexity of the Slivovo system is greater than originally suspected. Geochemical results from sampling of the mineralized core did not significantly extend near-surface gold mineralization. The combination of these results indicated new mineral possibilities in the immediate Slivovo target area, but none close enough to the surface to significantly increase the size of the present, potentially surface minable Slivovo gold deposit. Avrupa reported an indicated mineral resource conforming to National Instrument 43-101 definitions of 640,000 metric tonnes of 4.80 grams per tonne gold and 14.68 g/t silver, for 98,700 ounces of gold and 302,000 ounces of silver (May 5, 2016).

BIL commissioned a follow-up, independent technical report to verify potential of significant mineralization around the Slivovo deposit, at Peshter and Brus, as well as around the remaining areas of the licence. Results of the independent study, completed in November, 2017, diverged somewhat from earlier work, particularly in genesis and placement of the mineralization in the Slivovo area. Earlier work assumed mineral-bearing fluids originated from perhaps a single, large porphyry intrusive source on the property, allowing for potential of a larger deposit at Slivovo. The new work presumes however that Slivovo gold mineralization is sourced from a large, off-property intrusive centre. Numerous small, satellite porphyritic intrusions emplaced perpendicularly to the mineral-hosting calcareous rocks at Slivovo, thus forming small mineral bodies around the Slivovo gold deposit. The independent study finally suggests a number of small (10,000) to medium size (100,000) targets within the licence area.

Covas tungsten project, Portugal

The Covas project hosts a reported conformable to NI 43-101 indicated mineral resource of 449,800 metric tonne units tungsten trioxide and an inferred mineral resource 767,100 MTUs WO3 (as reported in the Avrupa news release of April 1, 2015). Mineralization is hosted in seven discrete bodies surrounding a presumed buried granitic intrusion. Over 80 per cent of the indicated and inferred resources lie within 60 metres of the surface. The price of tungsten lies close to $300 (U.S.) per metric tonne unit (MTU), up from under $200 (U.S.) at the end of the 2016.

Avrupa's partner at Covas, Blackheath Resources Inc., financed a single 225-metre drill hole to partially test for the possibility of a large-tonnage, close-to-the-surface, bulk minable, disseminated tungsten deposit directly related to or hosted in the presumed porphyritic granitic Covas intrusive body. Surface and close-to-surface indications for potential mineralization included strong alteration affiliated with an intense linear, negative magnetics anomaly, multielement geochemical anomalism contained in soil samples covering the linear magnetics anomaly, and supporting IP/chargeability anomalism.

The single drill hole partially tested the target idea. Alteration was present throughout the hole, particularly strong silicification through the bottom half of the hole. Porphyritic intrusive rocks were present in the hole in the form of crosscutting dikes. The company is awaiting assay results from the laboratory.

To date, BHR has financed approximately 1.75 million euros of exploration at Covas, and holds 75 per cent of the project according to the amended earn-in agreement (see Avrupa news release dated May 12, 2014).

Paul W. Kuhn, president and chief executive officer of Avrupa Minerals, commented: "The company continues to successfully advance its programs in Kosovo and Portugal through partner funding. We intend to continue to advance all of our quality projects in both countries in 2018, in addition to potentially completing new joint ventures on our pyrite belt projects in South Portugal."

Avrupa Minerals is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on discovery, using a prospect generator model, of valuable mineral deposits in politically stable and prospective regions of Europe, including Portugal, Kosovo and Germany.

The company currently holds eight exploration licences in three European countries, including five in Portugal covering 2,911 square kilometres, two in Kosovo covering 47 square km, and one in Germany covering 307 square km. Avrupa now has three active option and joint venture agreements, two in Portugal and one in Kosovo, including:

• The Alvito option agreement with OZ Minerals Ltd. covering one licence in the Ossa Morena zone in southern Portugal, for iron-oxide-copper-gold deposits;
• The Covas JV, with Blackheath Resources, covering one licence in northern Portugal, for intrusion-related W deposits;
• Avrupa's partner at the Slivovo gold project in Kosovo is fully financing the program, allowing Avrupa to dilute its ownership in the JV operating company Peshter Mining JSC.

In addition, in the Iberian pyrite belt of south Portugal, the company holds the Alvalade VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) project, now 100 per cent owned by Avrupa, where previous partners have spent over $7.6-million (U.S.) on exploration for VMS copper, zinc and lead mineralization, resulting in discoveries at Sesmarias and Monte da Bela Vista.

This news release was prepared by company management, who take full responsibility for its content. Paul W. Kuhn, president and CEO of Avrupa Minerals, a licensed professional geologist and a registered member of the Society of Mining Engineers, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has reviewed the technical disclosure in this release. Mr. Kuhn, the QP, has not only reviewed, but prepared and supervised the preparation or approval of the scientific and technical content in the news release.