Government meeting discusses ways to ramp up mining and processing sectors.
Kazakhstan plans to expand its global share in critical mineral production. According to the Astana Times, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a government meeting this week discussing the country’s international position in the sector and ways to enhance this. Besides a ramp-up of mining activities, the Central Asian country will examine a build-up of permanent magnet, recycling, and heat-resistant alloy production capacities.
Amidst Western efforts to diversify supply chains away from industry leader China, resource-rich Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly relevant. Multiple countries, including Germany and South Korea, have signed cooperation agreements with Kazakhstan. This week, Kanat Sharlapaev, Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction, spoke at the Raw Materials Congress of the German Federation of German Industries (BDI) in Berlin, highlighting the opportunities the Central Asian resource sector presents for allied nations. Sharlapaev emphasized that the country has been a reliable partner for energy, which could be expanded to other raw materials. In December, the minister highlighted in an interview that Kazakhstan produces 18 of 34 minerals classified as critical by the EU.
Already last week, Kazakhstan and South Korea announced intensified cooperation in critical minerals and other fields.
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