A U.S.-hosted ministerial meeting (inaugural on Feb 4, 2026) bringing ministers and senior officials together to coordinate actions to strengthen and diversify global critical‑minerals supply chains. The State Department said it will welcome delegations from “over 50 nations”; attendees include G7 members and other partners such as Japan, Australia, South Korea, India and countries from Europe, Central Asia and Africa, though no single full public roster has been posted.
"Critical minerals" are non‑fuel mineral commodities essential to modern technologies (e.g., lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare‑earth elements) whose supply is at risk. Governments call them “critical” because they are vital to the clean‑energy transition, advanced electronics and defense systems, yet have concentrated production/processing and high supply‑chain vulnerability.
Typical bilateral cooperation discussed includes memoranda of understanding (MoUs), offtake and supply‑agreement frameworks, joint investment or financing for mines/refineries, technology and capacity‑building partnerships, and coordination on export controls/standards. Multilateral models include the Minerals Security Partnership and recent deals to set price supports, stockpiles or tariff‑free arrangements.
Christopher Landau is the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State (Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau), a senior State Department official who helps set and implement U.S. foreign‑policy priorities, manages high‑level diplomatic engagement, and represents the department in ministerial meetings and bilateral talks.
Pablo Quirno is Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (the country’s senior diplomatic official). As foreign minister he leads Argentina’s international diplomacy; responsibility for Argentina’s critical‑minerals or energy policy typically sits with domestic ministries (economy, mining, energy), though the foreign ministry negotiates international agreements and investment/cooperation on those issues.
After a diplomatic readout pledging deeper ties, concrete next steps commonly include negotiating MoUs or memoranda of intent, setting working groups, launching feasibility studies or pilot projects, arranging financing or investment commitments, and scheduling follow‑up ministerial or technical meetings — timelines vary but initial deliverables often appear within weeks–months, with project implementation taking years.