The economist assessed the prospects of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the United States on rare earth metals

Cooperation with Washington in the field of rare earth metals (REM) can be an important step towards expanding the economic partnership between the two countries. Maxim Chirkov, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements at GUU, shared this opinion in an interview with Izvestia on April 4.

Earlier, on April 3, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Investment and Economic cooperation with Foreign countries, discussed the topic of rare earth metals with Steve Witkoff, Special envoy of the President of the United States, during a meeting in Washington.

"Russia is one of the largest suppliers of resources in the world, and we have serious opportunities for the extraction and supply of rare earth metals," Chirkov said.

According to him, the US interest in such agreements is natural, since Washington is actively looking for reliable partners in this high—tech field, and Russia is one of the most predictable and resource-rich partners.

"The Russian economy is becoming more and more open, and cooperation with the United States in the field of rare earths can strengthen trade ties, increase exports and support technological development," Chirkov concluded.

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On April 3, Dmitriev met with the special envoy of the President of the United States, Steve Witkoff, in Washington. He became the first representative of the Russian government to visit the United States on an official visit after the start of the special operation in 2022. After the meeting, an official on the social network X called the dialogue between the two countries important. The CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund attached to the publication a picture showing a plane heading towards Washington.