U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called critical minerals a key priority as he hosted the leaders of five Central Asian nations at the White House, emphasizing his administration’s efforts to expand and secure U.S. supply chains through new global agreements.

The meeting with leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan came as Washington seeks to expand its influence in a resource-rich region long dominated by Russia and increasingly courted by China. Trump called Central Asia “an extremely wealthy region,” saying he wants to make America’s partnership with the five countries stronger.

“One of the key items on our agenda is critical minerals,” Trump said. “In recent weeks, my administration has strengthened American economic security by forging agree

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