Astana: Kazakhstan critical raw materials cooperation with the European Union has the politics in place but little visible money, a gap that matters as Brussels competes with Washington for Central Asian minerals. The most recent political signal came after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Brussels, which ended on 23 June 2026.
The joint statement from that visit reaffirmed the importance of cooperation on critical raw materials and committed both sides to implement their roadmap on sustainable raw materials, batteries and green hydrogen value chains. It also stressed the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Eurasianet reported meetings with Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, EU Special Representative for Central Asia Eduards Stiprais and European Investment Bank Vice President Marek Mora.
The legal base goes back to a memorandum signed in November 2022. A 2025-2026 roadmap, endorsed at the first EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, adds goals on geological exploration, research, skills and environmental, social and governance standards. It also envisages support for projects selected as strategic under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. Kazakhstan critical raw materials projects could therefore gain political backing, although the EU delegation’s summary names only one funding item, a €3 million project implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
That figure is small beside the sums moving elsewhere. Agreements around the Tokayev visit were put at potentially more than $12 billion, but the largest single item was an order for 50 Airbus jets worth €7.1 billion, not minerals. Eurasianet did not identify any new raw materials funding from the visit, despite its headline.
Astana wants more than ore sales from Kazakhstan critical raw materials deals. President Tokayev has called for high-value-added production in mining and metallurgy, and the government plans about $500 million over three years for geological exploration and infrastructure. The Times of Central Asia argues that the region should set local processing targets, which is the author’s view and not a formal Kazakh demand. That distinction is important for European buyers, who still lack a stated price for access.
Competition is real. The US-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium is seeking $20 billion for projects in Asia and names Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as areas of interest, according to Eurasianet citing Reuters. China refines more than 90 percent of the world’s rare earths, based on International Energy Agency data cited by the Times of Central Asia. A headline from the same outlet in October also points to a Kazakh proposal for local rare earth processing with Belgium, although this report has not reviewed the details.
The test for Kazakhstan critical raw materials policy in the coming months is whether Brussels can pair its roadmap with investment, offtake commitments and processing partnerships. Without them, the partnership risks staying a diplomatic statement while rivals sign contracts. Watch for Global Gateway announcements and for any follow-up on the strategic projects list, because those will show whether Kazakhstan critical raw materials supply is moving from promise to cargo.
