Central Asian countries begin to view critical mineral [CRM] development as a priority.
The Central Asian region possesses rich, underexplored diverse mineral potential of great strategic significance and is now more closely connected politically with global stakeholders.
For decades, Central Asia has remained obscure in the global mineral supply chain, overshadowed by traditional mining powers. However, with the surge in demand for critical minerals, this landlocked region of Central Asia has become a frontier of strategic interests.
Seemingly, the governments of Central Asian countries are committed to unleashing this potential through attracting private investment and modernizing the mining industry. The government of Kazakhstan considers the development of critical minerals [CRM] as a priority task, with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev calling it "essentially the new oil."
Similarly, Uzbekistan has made the development of rare earth mining an important priority, with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasizing that the country's abundant rare earth reserves are strategic assets. Kyrgyzstan is preparing to issue licenses for rare earth metal mining, which seemed unlikely just five years ago.
Similarly, Tajikistan ranks first in lead and zinc reserves and second in antimony reserves among Central Asian countries and is strengthening cooperation with neighboring countries to develop its rich mineral resources.
Central Asian countries have established strategic partnerships with multiple Western countries to advance the extraction of critical raw materials. However, strategic value is accompanied by strategic vulnerabilities.
One of the most stubborn structural obstacles remains the lack of local processing capacity. Historically, Central Asian countries have exported raw ore because they lacked sufficient capability to refine or process it locally, thus losing significant economic value.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832188799703049/
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