UPDATE 1-Venezuela says will not renew expiring mine deals

(Adds Sanz comments)

MARACAY, Venezuela, June 24 (Reuters) - Venezuela's government said Wednesday it will not renew mining concessions after they expire as part of efforts to move the sector toward joint ventures and operations contracts.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Cuba ally who is trying to build a socialist revolution, has increased state control over mining, oil and other sectors of the economy, forcing some investors into joint ventures with a government majority.

"We have halted the policy of concessions, we are moving toward joint ventures and eventually to operating contracts," Mining Minister Rodolfo Sanz said at the start of a regional summit of Venezuela's leftist allies.

OPEC-member Venezuela last month ended two concessions held by U.S.-based miner Gold Reserve GRX.TO in one of Latin America's largest gold deposits.

Chavez has steadily nationalized large parts of Venezuela's economy. Some investors have been paid what experts estimate is a fair price for their assets, but the takeover of heavy oil operations run by U.S. oil companies sparked legal disputes. (Reporting by Enrique Andres Pretel; writing by Patrick Markey in Bogota; Editing by John Picinich)