Russia's special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said Moscow and Washington have started talks on joint rare earth metals and other projects in Russia.
Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, saying they have begun discussions on various rare earth metals and other projects in Russia.
Following negotiations between the US and Ukraine over a draft minerals deal, Putin has offered the US, under a future economic deal, to jointly explore Russia's rare earth metal deposits.
Dmitriev, who was part of Russia's negotiating team at talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia in February, said some companies have already shown interest in the projects.
He, however, did not name any companies and did not reveal further details.
It was gathered that the cooperation may be further discussed at the next round of Russia-US talks that may take place in mid-April in Saudi Arabia.
DAILY POST reports that rare earths and other critical metals, essential for high-tech industries, have gained global attention in recent months as US President Donald Trump spurred efforts to counter China's dominance in the sector.
