Trump underscores significance of securing critical minerals: US official

ISLAMABAD: A senior US official said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump has underscored the strategic significance of securing diverse and reliable sources of minerals, noting that Pakistan’s untapped mineral potential could be beneficial for both countries “if developed responsibly and transparently.”

According to a statement from the US Embassy in Islamabad, Eric Meyer, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, who visited Pakistan from April 8 to 9, said: “President Trump has made it clear that securing diverse and reliable sources of these materials is a strategic priority.”

Meyer’s trip aimed to advance US interests in Pakistan’s critical minerals sector, create opportunities for US businesses, strengthen economic ties, and emphasise the continued need for collaboration on counterterrorism. Meyer highlighted his support for investment in Pakistan’s mineral sector during the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum. “Critical minerals are essential raw materials for our most advanced technologies,” Meyer said.

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The US continues to work with international partners and Pakistani stakeholders to explore investment opportunities, foster technical collaboration, and promote responsible resource management in the minerals sector.

Meyer also met with senior Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik.

It said that their discussions focused on expanding opportunities for American businesses, deepening economic ties between the two countries, and emphasising the importance of continued counterterrorism collaboration.

During his visit, Meyer expressed appreciation for the opportunity to meet with Pakistani foreign policy experts, members of American chambers of commerce, and alumni of US public diplomacy programmes to reinforce the strong and enduring people-to-people ties between the two countries.

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