On Wednesday, June 4, the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center hosted the US-Central Asia Forum, co-sponsored by Foley Hoag LLP and Miras Zhiyenbayev. The forum featured panels on critical minerals and US policy in the region and explored how US engagement with the Central Asian states could help achieve concrete results for prosperity and security. 

To open the forum, US Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) sent in remarks, in which he said that Central Asia is “a region of untapped potential that has the opportunity to highlight the importance and impact of US engagement and investment.”  

Critical-mineral and rare-earth development was fittingly at the forefront of the discussions, given the attention the Trump administration has devoted to the issue over the past six months. In the first panel of the forum, Geoffrey Pyatt, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and former assistant secretary of state for energy resources, underlined how oil and gas have dominated US relations with the region—especially with Kazakhstan—and how critical minerals can become a similarly significant source of economic partnership. He noted that despite the political transition in Washington, there remains strong bipartisan emphasis on diversifying critical-mineral supply chains.  

According to Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United States, Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Central Asia is well-positioned to address this critical need for the United States. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s rich resource deposits and argued that Kazakhstan has ideal conditions for foreign investment, including “developed midstream processing capabilities, strong infrastructure, low operating costs . . . as well as trusted and predictable strategic partnership.”  

Uzbekistan’s deputy chief of mission in Washington, Alisher Akhmedov, said critical minerals development is the “main pillar” of the US-Uzbekistan partnership, arguing that the economic modernization, supply chain resilience, and connectivity that could come from minerals cooperation are “win-win” situations for the United States and Uzbekistan.  

The second panel looked at US policy in Central Asia under the Trump administration, as Central Asian states enter a period of new economic and foreign policy dynamism, shifting how they view themselves and their partners.   

James Carafano, E.W. Richardson fellow and senior counselor to the president at the Heritage Foundation, pointed out how an intensely pragmatic US administration focused on clear wins should see a wealth of opportunity in the region, whether it be through mining and energy or other avenues for cooperation.  

But US policy should not end at resource development, panelists noted, as counterterrorism support focused on the growing ISIS-K threat and countering malign Chinese influence, in addition to border security, all align with major priorities of the Trump administration and can be tackled in partnership with Central Asian countries. 

For a perspective from Central Asia, Miras Zhiyenbayev, advisor to the chairman of the board for international affairs and initiatives at Maqsut Narikbayev University, emphasized that today,“the world is open for Central Asia and Central Asia is open for the world.” While young people in the region seek opportunities and education all over the world, he said, the United States has the chance now to show up in the region through high-level visits and other engagement to connect with the Central Asian states and show political will for deeper engagement.  

Throughout the forum, panelists agreed that the United States needs to be more active in Central Asia to better serve US interests. Moderator Andrew D’Anieri, the Eurasia Center’s associate director, laid out the main takeaways for the United States: show up in Central Asia, make critical raw materials projects economically viable build a more dynamic Central Asia policy (including by repealing the Jackson-Vanik amendment), and leverage the Trump administration’s transactional foreign policy for tangible projects and investments.   

While the White House has its hands full focusing on other hotspots around the world, Central Asia remains a region with willing partners and a wealth of clear opportunities to advance US interests.  

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