Kazakhstan Moves to Develop Critical Minerals as Global Competition Intensifies

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired a Security Council meeting in Astana on developing Kazakhstan’s critical minerals industry, including rare and rare-earth metals, Orda.kz reports.

The current global situation creates favorable — one might say unique — conditions for countries that possess such reserves,Tokayev said.

The president noted that international competition for critical minerals is intensifying because of their importance to high-tech manufacturing. He said Kazakhstan must use its resources to develop domestic expertise, processing capacity and production chains.

Following the meeting, Tokayev instructed the government and state agencies to:

• expand geological exploration and mineral processing;
• bring mining waste containing valuable materials into economic use;
• strengthen laboratory facilities and specialist training;
• improve industry regulation;
• remove administrative barriers.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest uranium producer. According to figures cited in 2025, the country has more than 2.6 million tons of rare-earth reserves and deposits containing 25 of the 50 minerals classified as critical by the United States.

Critical minerals were also a major topic at the November 2025 C5+1 summit in Washington. Ahead of the meeting, analysts argued that the U.S. wanted to draw Kazakhstan into an American-led critical minerals supply chain.

Kazakhstan is also expanding its processing capacity. A plant in Stepnogorsk is expected to process rare-earth concentrate from the Kangankunde deposit in Malawi.

Original author: Evgeniy Naumovich

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