Highlights

• Kazakhstan finds largest rare earth metals deposit containing one million tonnes of critical elements.
• Discovery positioned strategically ahead of EU-Central Asia summit, highlighting geopolitical resource importance.
• Country seeks foreign investment to develop 'New Kazakhstan' site and advance extraction technology.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry has announced the discovery of the country’s largest rare earth metals deposit in the Karaganda region. The deposit contains an estimated one million tonnes of critical elements, including cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and yttrium. Pending further verification, the total resource estimate could exceed 20 million tonnes.

The announcement comes ahead of the first EU–Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan (opens in a new tab), where geopolitical interest in the resource-rich region intensifies. Rare earth elements are vital for green technologies and are in high demand by major global powers, including China, the U.S., and the European Union.

Kazakhstan, lacking domestic extraction technology, is seeking foreign investment to develop the site, provisionally dubbed “New Kazakhstan.” The discovery has the potential to position the country as a leading global supplier of rare earths.

The piece, published via AFP, is largely objective and factual. It cites official government statements, places the discovery in a geopolitical context, and refrains from editorializing. The tone is neutral, though the report briefly underscores Kazakhstan's current technological limitations and reliance on foreign investment.