Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez is attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention (PDAC) in Toronto, Canada. As Chair of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), he welcomed Estonia as the newest member of the MSP. With the addition of Estonia, the MSP now counts 14 countries and the EU as partners.  Estonia is a key stakeholder and contributor in the production and processing of rare earths and is a welcome addition to the MSP.

During the MSP high level principles meeting on March 3, MSP Partners announced the creation of the MSP Forum, which cements our partnership with select minerals producing countries committed to advancing and accelerating individual projects with high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.  The Forum will promote diverse and resilient supply chains, local value-addition and beneficiation.

The MSP Forum provides a platform for Partners and Forum Members to discuss and advance both projects and policies that provide a more secure and sustainable supply of critical minerals with local beneficiation. The Project component of the MSP Forum may include, for example: project information sharing among MSP partners, Forum members, and the private sector, presentations on critical minerals opportunities, or geological survey and mapping requests, among other topics.

The Policy Dialogue component of the MSP Forum will include topics such as policies to boost sustainable production and local capacities; discussions on regulatory cooperation to foster fair competition,transparency, and local value addition; policies to foster application of high ESG standards; and policies topromote and facilitate effective recycling. Learn more about the MSP at the webpage:https://www.state.gov/minerals-security-partnership/.

To stay up to date, follow Under Secretary Fernandez on X:@State_E, LinkedIn:@State-E, and Facebook:@StateDeptE.

For further media information, please contactE_Communications@state.gov.