Uzbekistan to adopt program to boost rare earth metals mining Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered the drawing up of a program of rare earth metals projects with a total value of $500 million when speaking at a meeting on objectives in geology and the mining and metals industry, the presidential press service said."The president gave instructions to draw up a program of promising projects in rare earth metals worth $500 million with the help of foreign experts and investors. He underscored the need to develop this sector using a science-based approach, create a project management office to this end, and invite leading institutions and research centers," the press service said.The participants in the meeting discussed plans and proposals for using minerals that are critical to industry, it said. Thirty-two such metals have been discovered in Uzbekistan.Mirziyoyev also highlighted emerging prospects due to the growing demand for rare earth metals from the electric vehicle industry, green energy, and electrical engineering.He emphasized the need to step up the development of known deposits of this critical raw material and search for new ones. Six rare earth metals are mined in Uzbekistan today, according to data presented at the meeting.There is also an opportunity to manufacture high-value-added products from platinum, indium, and vanadium, as well as minerals containing tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, zinc, and manganese, the press service said."An agreement on critical raw materials was recently achieved with the European Union, opening up broad access to this large market," it said. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: Interfax