May 20 (Reuters) - Russia is concerned by U.S. and European Union efforts to secure access to rare earths and critical minerals in Central Asia, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia newspaper.
In an attempt to diversify from China, which dominates rare earths supply chains vital for technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence systems, the G7 nations, including the U.S. and EU, have been exploring alternative markets and support tools to reduce their dependence on Beijing.
Russia considers the resource-rich Central Asian nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - its sphere of interest at a time when China has also been increasingly turning its attention to the region.
"We are concerned by the intensity with which Washington is pushing agreements on critical minerals and rare earth metals," Galuzin told Izvestia in an interview published on Wednesday.
"This is not merely about economic competition, but about an attempt to push Russia out and create a Western-controlled infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of our borders."
U.S. President Donald Trump called critical minerals a key priority as he hosted the leaders of five Central Asian nations at the White House in November, emphasising his administration's efforts to expand and secure U.S. supply chains through new global agreements.
(Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
