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Trump hosts talks with five Central Asian leaders

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US seeks partnerships on critical minerals, energy and

trade

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Central Asia remains economically tied to Russia, with

China in

the wings

(Adds comments from Trump and C5 leaders)

By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose

Nov 6 (Reuters) -

President Donald Trump on Thursday called critical minerals

a key priority as he hosted the leaders of five Central Asian

nations at the White House, emphasizing his administration's

efforts to expand and secure U.S. supply chains through new

global agreements.

The meeting with leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan came as Washington seeks

to expand its influence in a resource-rich region long dominated

by Russia and increasingly courted by China. Trump called

Central Asia "an extremely wealthy region," saying he is

committed to making America's partnership with the five

countries stronger.

"One of the key items on our agenda is critical

minerals," Trump said. "In recent weeks, my administration has

strengthened American economic security by forging agreements

with allies and friends across the world to broaden our critical

mineral supply chains."

The talks took place amid intensifying competition for

Central Asia's vast mineral wealth -- which includes uranium,

copper, gold and rare earths -- as Western nations move to

diversify supply chains away from Moscow and Beijing. The U.S.

is pursuing new partnerships to secure critical minerals,

energy, and overland trade routes that circumvent its

geopolitical rivals.

Trump made his remarks before dinner with the leaders of the

five nations.

Kazakhstan's president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called the

meeting the "beginning of a new era of interaction between the

United States and Central Asia." Kazakhstan also took the

symbolic step of joining the Abraham Accords that have

normalized relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of Uzbekistan, called

Trump the "president of the world" and proposed setting up a

permanent secretariat in Central Asia.

Launched in 2015, the C5+1 platform brings together the

United States and the five Central Asian states to advance

cooperation on economic, energy and security issues.

CRITICAL MINERALS MEMORANDUM

The U.S. and representatives of the five nations were

expected to sign deals to cooperate on critical minerals. Among

business deals that were announced was an agreement for Boeing ( BA )

to sell up to 37 airplanes to airlines in Kazakhstan,

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan combined, according to a government

statement. A U.S. company, Cove Capital, will mine tungsten in

Kazakhstan with government-backed financing.

Gracelin Baskaran, a director at the Center for Strategic

and International Studies, said the administration will pursue

government-to-government engagement but also commercial deals

that secure U.S. access to vital minerals.

"As China and Russia entrench their control over the

region's mining, processing and infrastructure systems,

Washington is seeking to establish a tangible foothold through

targeted strategic projects," Baskaran said.

NATIONS ARE RICH IN URANIUM, COPPER, GOLD

Rich in minerals and energy, the five nations remain

economically tied to Russia, their former Soviet ruler, while

neighboring China has expanded its influence through large-scale

infrastructure and mining investments.

Together, the countries are home to 84 million people and

hold vast deposits of uranium, copper, gold, rare earths and

other strategic minerals essential to global efforts to

transition to greener forms of energy.

Kazakhstan, the region's largest economy, is the world's

leading uranium supplier, producing nearly 40% of global output

in 2024, while Uzbekistan ranks among the top five.

Together, they account for just over half of the world's

uranium production - a vital resource for U.S. nuclear power,

which is a significant source of U.S. electricity. Russia

supplies roughly 20% of the U.S.'s imported uranium, making

diversification increasingly urgent.

Under Trump, the U.S. has pursued a multi-pronged strategy

to secure critical minerals and reduce reliance on China, which

dominates global supply chains for strategic metals including

uranium, rare earth elements, copper, and titanium.

China, at times, has leveraged its dominance by restricting

exports.