Central Asia Becomes Center Stage in Global Mineral Race

The United States and European Union have demonstrated rising interest in Central Asia’s critical minerals in recent months. They additionally have shown interest in getting involved in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants to be built in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The US quest for rare earths appears to be intensifying, underscored by a low-key tour by a US congresswoman, Carol Miller, a Republican from West Virginia, who has held meetings with high-profile Central Asian leaders. In a highly unusual protocol…