MINEX Central Asia 2025 Forum highlights critical minerals and regional cooperation

The 11th MINEX Central Asia Forum took place in Tashkent under the theme “Forging Central Asia's Role in Global Critical Minerals Security”, gathering stakeholders from across the region to explore collaboration and investment opportunities in the mining and critical minerals sector.

Delegations from all five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — joined representatives from global mining companies, financial institutions, and government bodies to examine strategies for unlocking the region’s vast mineral wealth amid growing global demand for critical raw materials.

The forum focused on:

• Strengthening Central Asia’s position in global supply chains for critical minerals like lithium, rare earths, uranium, and copper.
• Attracting sustainable foreign investment while modernizing mining regulations and infrastructure.
• Promoting cross-border cooperation to develop shared transport, energy, and processing capacities.
• Addressing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges in mineral extraction.
   

Experts emphasized the urgency of building secure, diversified supply chains amid rising geopolitical tensions and energy transition pressures worldwide. Participants also highlighted the strategic role Central Asia could play in meeting clean energy and technology needs, especially for the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors.

The event concluded with calls to align national policies, enhance geological data transparency, and create regional frameworks to maximize the value of mineral development for local communities and economies.

The next edition of the MINEX Forum is expected to further expand partnerships and technical dialogues, reinforcing Central Asia's growing relevance in the global critical minerals landscape.

Copied