Astana, Jun 11 (EFE).- The United States delegation currently visiting Kazakhstan for a mining and metallurgy congress described the Central Asian country’s strategic minerals on Thursday as an “absolute priority” for U.S. policy.
“It’s no secret that critical minerals are one of the top priorities of the United States in terms of securing reliable sources of critical minerals, and that’s not just sources, but processing as well. And so, Kazakhstan, naturally, is a key focus of ours because of your rich resources,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce David L. Fogel said during the congress.
Speaking at the 2026 International Astana Mining and Metallurgy Congress, the U.S. envoy added that “it’s about the attitude and openness of working together with the United States to secure these supply chains that are so critical to our development.”
Fogel recalled that U.S. companies have been investing in Kazakhstan since its independence 35 years ago, with total investment exceeding $100 billion.
“You could take that analogy and apply it to critical minerals. We are here for the long term. I want to emphasize that,” he said, adding that he was accompanied by the largest U.S. delegation ever to visit Kazakhstan, comprising more than twenty American companies and representatives from various government agencies.
To deepen cooperation, Fogel said it would be necessary to address issues such as mapping and surveying, as well as adopt consistent international standards.
Kazakh investment in geological exploration
For his part, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov told the congress that detailed geological mapping is already underway across the country and is expected to cover more than two million square kilometres.
“At the instruction of the president, the state alone will invest approximately 470 million dollars in geological exploration between 2026 and 2028,” Bektenov said, noting that the amount is comparable to “total public spending on geological exploration over the previous two decades.”
To support this effort, Kazakhstan has created a programme offering 22 public services through a platform that simplifies the issuance of licences and monitors compliance with subsoil users’ obligations. EFE
