MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with officials on Monday to discuss rare earth metals production, which he described as a strategic reserve vital for Russia's future competitiveness and economic development, the Kremlin said.

Putin highlighted the national project 'New Materials and Chemistry,' launched this year to enhance the domestic industry in new materials.

This project, Putin said, aims to establish the complete cycle of the rare and rare-earth metals industry, from extraction to the production of high-tech goods, significantly boosting output.