According to Tajikistan's Asia+ news agency, a new round of talks between the United States and Central Asian countries under the "C5+1" framework was held in Astana, focusing on cooperation in key mineral resources.

Sergio Gore, U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, stated that Central Asia is a crucial hub for global trade, connectivity, and sustainable supply chains. The Trump administration plans to significantly strengthen cooperation with Central Asia, changing the region's long-standing neglect by the United States. Gore emphasized that key minerals are vital to high-tech industries, manufacturing, infrastructure, and defense, and are becoming a key area of cooperation between the U.S. and Central Asia. He also pointed out that U.S. economic security depends on diversifying its access to key mineral resources.

Kazakhstan used these talks to promote its own potential. Kazakhstan's Minister of Industry and Construction, Yerseyin Nagaspayev, stated that since President Tokayev's visit to the US in November 2025 and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Key Minerals, both sides have continuously advanced cooperation in this field. The joint project between Kazakhstan and the US private mining investment company Cove Capital in tungsten mine development is a prime example of this cooperation. Nagaspayev also linked the key minerals issue to the Trans-Caspian international transport route and the Central Asian Corridor, stating that Kazakhstan is pushing to develop this corridor into a route connecting Asia and Europe, rather than relying solely on the traditional northern passage.

Tajikistan's Minister of Industry and New Technologies, Kabir Sheralli, told Sergio Gor that Tajikistan possesses enormous potential in the extraction and processing of strategic raw materials, with approximately 800 metal and mineral deposits already identified, including lithium, antimony, copper, and rare earth elements. However, only about 5% of these deposits have undergone geological exploration, presenting significant opportunities for attracting foreign investment.

Reprinted from Tajikistan's Asia+ News Agency