France aims to deepen cooperation with Türkiye on critical minerals
* Benjamin Gallezot, the French Interministerial Delegate for Strategic Minerals and Metals Supply: “We need to engage in technical cooperation through
technology transfer. We also need to provide
financial support for such projects.”
Benjamin Gallezot, France’s Interministerial Delegate for the Supply of Strategic Minerals and Metals, stated that France wants to strengthen cooperation with Türkiye in the field of critical minerals and aims to deepen this cooperation over time at both governmental and corporate levels.
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, Gallezot emphasized that international cooperation,
technology transfer, and
financial support are of critical importance for ensuring supply security and diversification in critical minerals.
He noted that the technical capacity for supplying critical minerals already exists, saying, “We need to develop these resources, and cooperation is very important for that.”
Gallezot said the issue was discussed with member countries during the OECD Critical Minerals Forum held in Istanbul in April, adding, “The OECD is a very suitable platform for enhancing this cooperation. This is a collaboration involving many countries. Türkiye is a very important country considering both its industrial capacity and natural resources.”
He also mentioned that he held meetings in Istanbul with relevant ministers regarding possible France–Türkiye cooperation on critical minerals, saying, “We want to improve cooperation between France and Türkiye. However, this needs to be addressed within a multilateral framework. We need to establish technical cooperation through technology transfer. We need to provide financial support for such projects.
Some French institutions have already invested in the critical minerals sector in Türkiye.”
* “We will evaluate all possibilities”
Gallezot stated that cooperation opportunities between
Türkiye and France are still in the evaluation stage and pointed out that many French companies are already investing in Türkiye.
Highlighting that Türkiye has an ambitious policy for developing its mining resources, Gallezot said:
“As France, we have particularly strong technical expertise in the field of rare earth elements. The technology for separating these rare earth elements was developed in France more than 80 years ago. We are still at the beginning of the discussions. We will evaluate all possibilities. We will gradually develop relations both between our governments and our companies over time.”
He added that preliminary talks are already underway, saying, “Time will show how this will take shape according to Türkiye’s needs. At the moment, there is no concrete idea defined yet. The discussions are more exploratory in nature.”
* “Supply diversification requires multilateral cooperation”
Gallezot explained that critical minerals are found in many everyday products and materials and are used in renewable energy production, batteries, electronics, and industry.
Pointing out that there are a total of 50 critical minerals, he said, “It is necessary to ensure that these are supplied at adequate levels. Supply diversification is also necessary. International cooperation is important precisely for this reason, because ensuring diversification in supply requires cooperation among multiple countries.”
Emphasizing the importance of diversification in supply chains, Gallezot said:
“Diversification is the key to supply policy, whether in energy or critical minerals. All countries around the world want diversity in supply. This is not unique to the EU, but the EU is active on this issue. France is also quite active. Diversifying supply is possible because there is diversity in natural resources. These resources exist in different countries around the world, including France.”
He noted that the diversification process would take time, adding, “It will take several years, but it is possible. International cooperation is the key point here. Resources, technology, skills, and financing need to be brought together, and this requires the efforts of many countries.”
- Fransa Stratejik Mineraller ve Metaller Tedarikinden Sorumlu Bakanlıklararası Delege Benjamin Gallezot: "Teknoloji transferi yoluyla teknik işbirliği yapmamız lazım. Bu tür projeler için finansman desteği sağlamamız gerekiyor" - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr