Crossroads Asia | Economy | Central Asia

The Upcoming C5 1 Dialogue on Critical Minerals

On the sidelines of the Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress, the C5 1 aims to deepen cooperation on critical minerals.

The Astana Mining & Metallurgy (AMM-2026) Congress is set for June 11-12 in the capital of Kazakhstan. The event will include a Dialogue on Critical Minerals in the C5 1 format; by combining the two platforms, Astana is aiming to institutionalize a transition from the framework agreements of last year’s presidential summit in Washington to more regular events and discussions of specific investment projects. But it is important to understand how the Central Asian states perceive the current global geopolitical situation and the demands of the Great Powers, and how they can navigate it.

The AMM-2026 exhibition will feature speakers and an exhibition hall with company stands. The 2026 exhibition plan includes stands for companies from the United States, Sweden (including the manufacturer Epiroc), Saudi Arabia, China (in particular Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co (XCMG)), and the German company Becker Mining. Local companies will also be present: integrated steel and mining company Qarmet, copper producers KAZ Minerals and KazakhMys, and zinc producer KazzInc.

The list of speakers for 2026 has not yet been confirmed, but in 2025, the attendees included Wen Gang, chairman of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group, and Garth Kirkham, chairman of CRIRSCO (Canada).

This is the second mining conference in Astana in recent months, following the Geoscience & Exploration Central Asia summit in April. Among the speakers at that event were senior government officials, representatives of companies and agencies, as well as Shell and the British Geological Society.

The C5 1 Dialogue on Critical Minerals, which will take place within the framework of the AMM, will build on the momentum of American-Central Asian cooperation initiated in recent years. The first meeting took place in February 2024, during the Biden administration. More than a year later, under the Trump administration, the five Central Asian leaders visited Washington and met with the U.S. president in early November 2025. In a joint statement, the parties confirmed their intention to “continue cooperation” to promote exploration, mining, and refining investments in Central Asia, as well as the development of value-added production, including downstream industries.

The U.S. delegation is expected to be led by Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Jacob Helberg. Although the agenda has not yet been published, it is safe to assume the delegation will adhere to the Trump administration’s current transactional diplomatic strategy.

In April, the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) announced the launch of the Junior Mining Platform, a specialized platform for attracting investments in early-stage exploration projects. The goal is for the platform is to serve as a bridge between junior mining companies and investors, enabling selected projects to present themselves to potential investors.

There are other important initiatives aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on China by strengthening mining projects and supply chains with partner countries, both near and far, such as Central Asia. An example is the Kaz Resources Inc project in the Karaganda region to develop the North Katpar and Upper Kairakty deposits, where reserves are estimated at around 1.4 million tons of tungsten trioxide. Kaz Resources was formed from the merger of Skyline Builders Group Holding and Cove Kaz Capital Group. Estimated capital expenditures (CAPEX) amount to $1.1 billion. 

The project is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker........

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