ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 20. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the launch of the Next-Generation SmartMining Plus project jointly with Japan, aimed at digitalizing production processes and enhancing environmental sustainability, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
“Central Asia possesses significant reserves of rare earth elements and other critical minerals necessary for the global energy transition. Our region can become a reliable link in global supply chains to ensure clean and energy-efficient production,” the president noted during his speech at the Central Asia-Japan Summit.
He emphasized that Kazakhstan is looking to intensify cooperation with Japan in the exploration, production, and processing of critical minerals while creating a full-fledged industrial cluster focused on deep processing and sustainable production chains.
“The project reflects our priority to develop advanced, environmentally responsible mining practices and strengthen the region’s role in global supply networks,” Tokayev added.
Earlier, within the framework of the summit, President Tokayev met with Masafumi Senzaki, President of Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM), to discuss the development of high-tech and environmentally friendly solutions for Kazakhstan’s mining industry.
The parties emphasized the critical role of digitalization, autonomous transport systems, and "green" technologies in the modernization of mining operations. President Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan's readiness to expand collaboration with HCM in the adoption of innovative, low-carbon, and safe solutions.
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