KARACHI: Pakistan and the United States on Friday discussed expanding cooperation in critical minerals, as Islamabad described its mining sector as a transformational opportunity to shift the national economy toward export-led growth.
The meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Robert Louis Strayer II, president of the US Critical Minerals Forum, which is backed by the administration in Washington, was also attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker.
The two countries, which reached a trade agreement in July to deepen economic engagement, have been discussing cooperation in areas such as rare earths, a group of metallic elements vital for electronics, defense systems and renewable technologies.
“During the meeting, both sides discussed avenues of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, strengthening supply-chain security, and encouraging responsible and sustainable investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals landscape,” said a finance ministry statement circulated after the meeting.
The Pakistani finance chief said his country’s mineral and mining sector represents a potential economic turning point.
