ISLAMABAD: The Trump administration has made securing critical minerals deals a “key priority” and expects fresh agreements between American companies and their Pakistani counterparts, a State Department spokesperson has told Pakistan TV Digital Friday.
The remarks come as critical minerals emerge as a growing economic pillar of Pakistan-US relations, with Islamabad positioning its mineral resources as an investment opportunity and Washington seeking to diversify critical-mineral supply chains and secure resources considered important to American economic and national security.
The spokesperson, while responding to questions from Pakistan TV Digital, said Washington welcomed Pakistan’s participation in the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February and was looking ahead to deals in the mining sector.
Pakistan was represented at the ministerial by Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik, joining delegations from 54 countries and the European Commission. The gathering brought together governments around efforts to strengthen and diversify critical-mineral supply chains.
“We look forward to future agreements between US companies and their counterparts in the critical minerals and mining sector in Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.
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The response placed the interest in a wider American supply chain calculation.
“The Trump Administration has made forging these deals a key priority given the importance of critical mineral resources to American security and prosperity,” the spokesperson said.
The State Department further said that it is expecting a level playing field for US investors in Pakistan.
The February ministerial also provided a platform for Pakistan to highlight its mineral potential as the two countries explored opportunities for greater commercial engagement.
At that meeting Rubio announced FORGE, which replaces the Minerals Security Partnership and is chaired by South Korea.
Rubio returned to the subject later in February when he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Washington on the sidelines of the first session of the Board of Peace.
A readout issued by State Department said the two discussed critical minerals and energy sector development along with commercial investment opportunities for American companies.
The focus on minerals comes amid broader efforts by Islamabad and Washington to expand bilateral ties beyond traditional security cooperation, with economic, trade, energy and investment issues gaining greater prominence in high-level contacts.
On the issue of counterterrorism, the spokesperson said, “The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combatting terrorism,” adding that “the Trump Administration remains focused on protecting the United States and the American people from terrorist attacks.”
The fourth round of the US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue was held in Washington on August 4.
It was led by US Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Gregory LoGerfo and Special Secretary at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Nabeel Munir.
The joint statement issued afterwards named Daesh, Al-Qa’ida, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army and its affiliates as groups both sides had resolved to confront, and recorded discussion on border security and on disrupting terrorist facilitation networks.