MINEX Forum

Tag: Sergio Gor

  • B5+1 Business Forum in Bishkek Draws Largest-Ever US Commercial Delegation to Central Asia as Private Sector Leads Engagement Push

    B5+1 Business Forum in Bishkek Draws Largest-Ever US Commercial Delegation to Central Asia as Private Sector Leads Engagement Push

    More than 50 US companies gathered in Bishkek on 4 February for the second B5+1 Business Forum, the private-sector counterpart to the C5+1 diplomatic format linking the United States with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in what US Special Envoy Sergio Gor described as the largest and most comprehensive American commercial delegation ever to visit Central Asia.

    The forum, co-organised by the Kyrgyz government and the Center for International Private Enterprise, is designed to bring companies and policymakers together to identify investment barriers and propose cross-border regulatory changes. The Bishkek agenda centred on reviewing progress against the 21 private-sector recommendations produced at the inaugural B5+1 forum in Almaty in March 2024, and setting priorities for the next phase of work.

    Gor framed the forum as a deliberate shift in Washington’s approach to Central Asian engagement. “The private sector, not intergovernmental agreements, will become the key instrument of interaction,” he said, identifying electronic commerce, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, agriculture and transport infrastructure as priority areas. He also referenced the TRIPP transport corridor as a vehicle for connecting Central Asia through the South Caucasus to global markets — “a historic opportunity to strengthen economic integration and long-term prosperity across the region.”

    Kazakhstan’s Industry and Construction Minister Yersaiyn Nagassayev used the event to make the case for treating Central Asia as a single investment market rather than a collection of bilateral relationships. He noted that more than 600 US companies currently operate in Kazakhstan and said foreign investors increasingly assess the region as a unified commercial space with aligned regulations and investment conditions.

    Kyrgyzstan used the forum to highlight its domestic economic performance within that regional context. First Deputy Chairman Daniyar Amangeldiyev said Kyrgyzstan’s economy grew 11.1% in 2025, which he described as one of the highest growth rates in the region. Gor also met separately with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to discuss economic cooperation, trade expansion and investment attraction.

    The B5+1 is being positioned as a standing mechanism with an ongoing cycle of working groups, private-sector proposals and annual meetings, rather than a one-off event. Any updated recommendations from the Bishkek forum are expected to be published following additional consultations rather than issued as immediate communiqués at the event itself.

  • US Envoy Gor Tells Astana C5+1 Dialogue Washington Is Changing Its Approach to Central Asia: “This Is Where We Want to Work”

    US Envoy Gor Tells Astana C5+1 Dialogue Washington Is Changing Its Approach to Central Asia: “This Is Where We Want to Work”

    The United States opened a new round of high-level critical minerals talks with all five Central Asian governments in Astana on 10 June, with US Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor delivering a pointed message that Washington has decided to significantly deepen its engagement with a region it acknowledges has not received the attention it deserves.

    “We care about this region, we want to be involved with this region, we want to identify win-win situations for the United States and your nations,” Gor told the first in-person C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue, held at The Ritz-Carlton in Astana and attended by officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The session covered geological exploration, surveying and mapping, mining and processing, and global value and supply chains.

    Gor said the Trump administration’s increased focus on Central Asia reflects a clear strategic calculation. “There’s a reason we’re sitting at this table and not at another table around the world. It’s because this is where we have identified trusted partners,” he said. He pointed to the US International Development Finance Corporation as a key instrument, saying it was preparing to invest in critical minerals, telecommunications and Trans-Caspian infrastructure, and saw potential to transform the region’s mineral deposits into “the foundation of a new wave of industrialisation.” He added that Washington stands behind American companies operating in the region: “There is no such thing as a deal too small.”

    Kazakhstan’s Industry and Construction Minister Yersaiyn Nagassayev framed the dialogue as a continuation of the bilateral track opened during President Tokayev’s November 2025 visit to Washington, when a critical minerals memorandum of understanding was signed in Tokayev’s presence by Nagassayev and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He cited the Cove Capital tungsten cooperation — involving the Northern Katpar and Upper Kairakty deposits in Karaganda Region — as a concrete follow-up to those agreements.

    Nagassayev presented Kazakhstan’s case for deeper partnership on multiple dimensions. The country holds more than 9,500 mineral deposits, including over 100 containing rare and rare earth metals. Investment in geological exploration has tripled since 2018 to exceed $1 billion annually, and the country has adopted the CRIRSCO international reporting standards since 2024. Major international companies including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold, First Quantum, Ivanhoe, Teck, Fortescue and Cove Capital have entered the market.

    Crucially, Nagassayev emphasised that Kazakhstan seeks to be a value-added partner rather than a raw material exporter. “Kazakhstan is interested not only in exporting raw materials, but also in developing joint production facilities, technology transfer, workforce training, and scientific cooperation,” he said, proposing cooperation in processing, industrial clusters, advanced materials and research centres. He also linked the critical minerals agenda to the Middle Corridor transport route as a mechanism for diversifying Eurasian connectivity and ensuring reliable supply chain flows.

    Gor met President Tokayev shortly before the dialogue session, and Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said the bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev covered economic partnerships, innovation, artificial intelligence, education, transport, logistics and the implementation of Tokayev-Trump agreements from November 2025.

  • C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue Convenes in Astana Ahead of AMM-2026 Congress as Kazakhstan Highlights 9,500-Deposit Resource Base

    C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue Convenes in Astana Ahead of AMM-2026 Congress as Kazakhstan Highlights 9,500-Deposit Resource Base

    A C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue was held in Astana on the eve of the 16th Astana Mining and Metallurgy Congress, co-chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagassayev and US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor, bringing together government representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan alongside the United States.

    Discussions focused on priority areas of cooperation between Central Asian states and the US across the full critical minerals value chain — geological exploration, extraction, processing and supply to global markets. Participants identified long-term cooperation directions including the development of high-technology processing industries, creation of industrial clusters, technology transfer, workforce training and strengthened scientific and technical cooperation. Logistics and supply chain reliability for delivering products to world markets also featured prominently in the agenda.

    Minister Nagassayev emphasised Kazakhstan’s position at the centre of the format’s mineral security agenda. “President Tokayev particularly underscores the important role of the C5+1 platform as a new format of interaction between Central Asia and the United States. The C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue is aimed at deepening cooperation in sustainable strategic raw material supply, developing technological interaction and building reliable global supply chains,” he said. He described Kazakhstan’s critical minerals sector as one of the country’s industrial policy priorities, noting that the country’s resource base encompasses more than 9,500 deposits, over 100 of which contain rare and rare earth metals. Digitalisation measures and the adoption of international standards have driven a significant increase in investment, attracting major global companies including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold, First Quantum, Ivanhoe, Teck, Fortescue and Cove Capital.

    All parties confirmed their interest in developing multilateral cooperation and implementing joint industrial and infrastructure projects.