Minerals from the former Soviet republic. The USA reaches for Uzbek lithium and copper

Representatives of the Uzbek and US authorities signed a memorandum on cooperation in the extraction and processing of critical minerals and rare earth metals, the Uzbek portal gazeta.uz reported, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tashkent.

The memorandum, which was signed on Thursday in Washington by Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtior Saidov and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, concerns minerals considered crucial for modern technologies and energy.

That day, a meeting was held in the US capital devoted to raw materials necessary for, among others: in the electronics industry and in the production of renewable energy.

The Uzbek-US agreement is intended to ensure the durability of supplies of strategic raw materials, such as copper, tungsten and lithium, and enable joint actions to stabilize their global supply chains.

“We see critical minerals not only as an economic opportunity, but also as an area of ​​responsible partnership and long-term sustainable development,” Minister Saidov wrote in the Telegram messenger after the talks in Washington.

Uzbekistan, located in Central Asia, has significant reserves of strategic raw materials, including gold, copper, tungsten, lead and molybdenum. The agreement concluded in the US capital also provides for an increase in investments in geological exploration works, the development of modern mining technologies and an increase in local production of processed raw materials, which may attract new investors to Uzbekistan.

As noted by the Uzbekistani portal specializing in business and technology issues, spot.uz, in response to the growing global demand for critical minerals, Uzbekistan is actively developing its raw materials policy, while striving to comply with international standards in the field of transparency and environmental protection.

Bilateral meetings with the participation of the Uzbek and American delegations also included discussions on expanding trade and investment cooperation beyond the mining sector. Experts indicate that a strategic partnership in the field of critical raw materials may become the foundation of long-term cooperation between the US and Uzbekistan, as well as influence global raw material markets. (PAP)

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