Astana, Jun 10 (EFE).- United States Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor visited Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday for a meeting to deepen cooperation between the United States and the five Central Asian countries on the supply of strategic raw materials.
“Central Asia has significant mineral resources, growing industrial potential and a strategic location between major global markets,” said Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev.
The minister added that Kazakhstan regards the strategic minerals sector as a key priority of its long-term industrial policy and noted that the country has “more than 9,500 mineral deposits, including over 100 deposits containing rare earth metals.”
“Kazakhstan is interested not only in exporting raw materials, but also in developing joint production facilities, technology transfer, workforce training and scientific cooperation,” he added.
For his part, U.S. Special Envoy Sergio Gor recalled that last year President Donald Trump stated that “Central Asia does not receive the attention it deserves.”
He also noted that the past six months, since the signing of a major memorandum of understanding in Washington in November last year, have been highly productive for both Kazakhstan and the United States.
Gor stressed the importance of maintaining active dialogue and practical cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral and regional agendas. Moreover, he highlighted the strategic importance of critical minerals.
Kazakhstan as an alternative supplier to China
Both the United States and the European Union are willing to support and benefit from the extraction of rare-earth metals in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries to diversify supply sources and reduce dependence on China. According to European and U.S. experts, a 90% dependence on a single source of raw materials represents a significant vulnerability.
Both Brussels and Washington hope that Kazakhstan and Central Asia as a whole can become an alternative supplier to China.
According to official data, Kazakhstan ranks sixth globally in natural resources and tenth in overall mineral production.
The country leads the world in tungsten reserves and ranks second in uranium and chromium reserves. It is fourth and fifth in reserves of manganese, silver, zinc, and lead. Kazakhstan also possesses deposits of rare-earth elements such as rubidium, cesium, lithium, and beryllium.
Government figures indicate that Kazakhstan currently produces 16 of the 30 most important rare-earth and critical minerals. With investment and advanced technology, the list could be expanded by an additional nine.
On the sidelines of the event, Said Sultanov, CEO of the Kazakh company Aurora Minerals Group, said that “Russia, Europe and China are already actively involved in geological exploration in Kazakhstan, so the arrival of American companies will only enhance our competitiveness in the market.”
The meeting took place within the framework of the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue. The United States and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum on cooperation in this area in November 2025.
On the same day, another agreement was signed with Cove Capital concerning the North Katpar and Upper Kairakty tungsten deposits. EFE