The Trump administration is open to exploring a partnership with the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a spokesperson for the State Department.
Earlier this month, the president of the DRC pitched President Donald Trump on a deal that would connect wealth from the nation’s raw materials to broader stability in the region — following in the footsteps of a similar pact taking shape around Ukraine.
When asked about those comments, the State Department spokesperson said the agency had nothing to preview or announce at this time but that the U.S. is working to boost private sector investment in the DRC’s mineral space. The DRC is home to mining sectors that produce copper, diamonds, tantalum, tin, gold and more than 70 percent of the world’s cobalt production.
“The [DRC] is endowed with a significant share of the world’s critical minerals required for advanced technologies,” said the spokesperson. “The United States is open to discussing partnerships in this sector that are aligned with the Trump Administration’s America First Agenda under the ‘Unleashing American Energy’ executive order.”
