Central Asian countries and the United States discussed expanding cooperation in the exploration, production, processing, and supply of critical minerals to the global market at the C5+1 dialogue, a regional diplomatic platform uniting five Central Asian countries and one external partner, in Astana, the Kazakh Industry and Construction Ministry said.
The C5+1 dialogue on critical minerals was co-chaired by Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev and US Special Presidential Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gora ahead of the 16th International Mining and Metals Congress (AMM-2026). Representatives from the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the event.
"Following the meeting, all parties confirmed their interest in developing multilateral cooperation and implementing joint industrial and infrastructure projects," according to the statement.
According to the ministry, the participants discussed priority areas of cooperation in developing mineral resources, advancing processing, and establishing sustainable supply chains for strategic raw materials. They also identified key areas for long-term cooperation in the C5+1 format, including the development of high-tech raw material processing facilities, the creation of industrial clusters, technology transfer, personnel training, scientific and technical cooperation, and the development of logistics infrastructure.
According to the ministry, Kazakhstan's mineral resource base comprises more than 9,500 deposits, over 100 of which contain rare and rare earth metals.
