GELENDZHIK, May 12. /TASS/. Central Asia has found itself at the center of a "global rare earth fever," while the West needs rare earth metals for the militarization of its economy, Director of the Third CIS Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Sternik said.
"There is clearly a global rare earth fever. Central Asia has found itself in the vortex of this hype, excuse the slang expression," the diplomat said. "According to data from American geological services, 380 or even more rare earth occurrences have been discovered in Central Asia. The main buyers of rare earths are enterprises of the military-industrial complex. I would simply like this to be remembered, because rare earths are closely linked to large-scale plans for the militarization of the Western economy," he added.
As Sternik noted, rare earth metals are used in advanced weapons and military equipment, laser systems and navigation systems, while corporations are reluctant to transfer advanced technologies.
"Turning this rare earth raw material into economic wealth is a very long road. Technology, extraction, processing, and personnel – these are the keys to success in this area. As well as developed infrastructure for access to remote deposits," the Russian Foreign Ministry official said. "Therefore, raw material sovereignty implies possessing the full cycle of processing and obtaining the final product, which, in fact, can become the guarantee of preserving any state’s position as industrially developed and as reliably ensuring its security," he added.
