Overview
- President Donald Trump is meeting the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at the White House on Thursday for the C5+1’s 10th‑anniversary summit, the first held at the White House.
- The agenda centers on securing rare earths and other critical minerals to reduce reliance on China and Russia, with Central Asia holding deep reserves and producing roughly half of the world’s uranium, including nearly 40% from Kazakhstan in 2024.
- China recently postponed for one year expanded restrictions on rare earth elements and magnets after Trump–Xi talks, sharpening U.S. efforts to build alternative sourcing and processing partnerships.
- A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation on Wednesday to repeal the Cold War–era Jackson–Vanik trade restrictions, a step backers say would help unlock U.S. investment in the five states.
- U.S. officials and companies are pursuing deals and frameworks, including talks over access to major tungsten deposits in Kazakhstan, while regional transport, power grid limits and governance risks remain significant hurdles to scaling processing and exports.