Russia and India are preparing an agreement on the joint development of critical mineral deposits – Reuters

New Delhi and Moscow plan to sign a memorandum of cooperation on the exploration and processing of lithium and rare earth metals in the coming months. The Indian side is considering a return to the lithium project in Mali, which is being implemented by Rosatom, provided that the security situation in the region stabilizes. 

This was reported by Reuters, citing its own sources.

Despite reserves of 28.5 million tons of rare earth metals, Russia currently meets 98%of its domestic demand through imports. With annual consumption at 3,000 tons, actual domestic production amounts to only 50 tons. To address this situation, Russian leadership has instructed the government to prepare a strategic development plan for the industry and a “roadmap” to stimulate the production of critical raw materials.

India is actively diversifying its sources of mineral supply, having already signed similar agreements with Australia, Japan, and Argentina. Negotiations with Russia are part of New Delhi’s strategy to provide the technology sector with the necessary resources amid global competition. Currently, the parties are finalizing the technical details of the future agreement and the terms for Indian companies’ access to Russian mineral resources.

It has become clear why India turned down Russian gas – Reuters.

Russia has added four tankers for transporting liquefied natural gas to its “shadow fleet” in an attempt to strengthen its market position ahead of EU restrictions.

The European Union may impose sanctions against individuals and companies suspected of facilitating the transport of grain exported from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to the port of Haifa (Israel).