# EU commits €2.5B to Central Asia critical raw material corridor

*Commissioner Jozef Síkela visited Tajikistan on Nov. 6 to diversify supply chains where China processes 90% of separated rare earth oxides.*

**Published:** November 7, 2026  
**By:** Mina Okoro  
**Section:** Semiconductors & AI Hardware — Cross-border  
**Format:** Policy Tracker  
**Confidence:** high  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/eu-commits-2-5b-central-asia-critical-raw-material-1199  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- EU deploys €2.5 billion for Central Asian critical minerals within €12 billion Global Gateway package
- Société Générale backs Almalyk with €50 million pre-export facility worth 4% of export revenue
- EU-Kazakhstan roadmap faces implementation review deadline on Dec. 31, 2026

![Miners inspect extracted rock at an open-pit site in Tajikistan as trucks and excavators operate along a mountain road. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-11-06-977f55d6012d.webp)
*Miners inspect extracted rock at an open-pit site in Tajikistan as trucks and excavators operate along a mountain road. (AI-generated image)*

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela visited Tajikistan on Nov. 6, 2026 to advance European Union mining and connectivity initiatives aimed at diversifying critical raw material supply chains away from China.

The European Commission allocated €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) for critical raw materials inside a wider €12 billion Global Gateway development package. The sum accounts for nearly 21% of the bloc's total regional funding program.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "EU commits €2.5B to Central Asia critical raw material corridor," November 7, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/eu-commits-2-5b-central-asia-critical-raw-material-1199