ASTANA — The C5+1 Dialogue on Critical Minerals will convene on June 11–12, 2026, as part of the Astana Mining & Metallurgy (AMM-2026) Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan. The session aims to advance specific investment projects following commitments made at the 2025 U.S.-Central Asia presidential summit in Washington.

The dialogue represents an effort to institutionalize regular discussions on critical mineral development, moving beyond the framework agreements established during the November 2025 summit. At that meeting, leaders from the five Central Asian republics and the U.S. president issued a joint statement affirming their intent to “continue cooperation to promote exploration, mining, refining investments, and downstream value-added production in Central Asia.”

The U.S. delegation to the upcoming C5+1 meeting is expected to be led by Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Jacob Helberg. The event will build on the first C5+1 Dialogue on Critical Minerals, which took place in February 2024 during the Biden administration.

The AMM-2026 Congress will feature exhibition stands from companies representing the United States, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, China, and Germany. In April 2026, the Astana International Financial Center launched the Junior Mining Platform to connect junior mining firms with investors for early-stage exploration projects.

Approximately 65 percent of Kazakhstan’s territory remains poorly explored geologically, presenting potential opportunities for new mineral discoveries. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey has warned of strong U.S. industrial dependence on imports of critical raw materials.

China accounts for about 70 percent of global rare-earth production. The U.S. Council on Foreign Relations has recommended encouraging disruptive innovation, recycling, and resource recovery to address supply challenges.

Washington views access to critical minerals as crucial to national security and as a strategic priority in great power competition. Kazakhstan is increasingly seen not just as a neutral transit territory but as an active participant in building shock-resistant supply chains for critical minerals.