The C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue was held in Astana under the co-chairmanship of Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction, Yersayin Nagaspayev, and the U.S. President’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor. The event took place ahead of the 16th Astana Mining & Metallurgy International Congress (AMM-2026).

The Dialogue brought together government representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Participants discussed key priorities for cooperation between the Central Asian states and the United States in the fields of geological exploration, mining, processing, and the supply of critical minerals to global markets.

Minister Nagaspayev emphasized that the critical minerals sector is one of Kazakhstan’s key priorities in terms of industrial policy and long-term economic development. Kazakhstan’s mineral resource base includes more than 9,500 deposits, over 100 of which contain rare and rare earth elements. Measures undertaken to digitalize the sector and introduce international standards have resulted in a significant increase in investment. Leading global companies, including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold, First Quantum, Ivanhoe, Teck, Fortescue, and Cove Capital, have entered the Kazakh market.

Participants identified several key areas for long-term cooperation within the C5+1 framework, including the development of high-tech processing industries, the establishment of industrial clusters, technology transfer, workforce development, and enhanced scientific and technical cooperation. Particular attention was also given to strengthening logistics connectivity to ensure reliable supplies of critical minerals and related products to global markets.

At the conclusion of the meeting, all parties reaffirmed their commitment to advancing multilateral cooperation and implementing joint industrial and infrastructure projects.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington/press/news/details/1238657?lang=ru