ANTALYA, Türkiye
The “Critical Raw Materials in the Age of Competition” panel was held Saturday as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
It addressed the geopolitical, economic, and strategic importance of underground resources, their role in the global competitive environment and their effect on energy transition.
Moderated by TRT World presenter Isobel Ewing, the panel featured Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Eduardo Gil Pinto, Botswana’s Minister of International Relations Phenyo Butale and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ayse Berris Ekinci as speakers.
Pinto said Venezuela has long been heavily dependent on the US in terms of industry and related materials, but the supply chain is unsafe for Venezuela and the world, as currently observed more strongly.
He highlighted that Venezuela has begun developing new strategic alliances with China, Brazil and Mexico, emphasizing the importance of creating multipolar supply chains, such as BRICS.
BoButale said: “Botswana was amongst the poorest countries in the world,” but today, thanks to valuable minerals, especially diamonds, it has risen to a middle-income status.
“When you buy a diamond in Botswana, you are not only buying a luxury product, you are enabling students to go up to PhD, as I have, you are enabling an old poor woman in a village, as to good health and good amenities,” Butale said.
Ekinci, for her part, emphasized that the Russia-Ukraine War and global geopolitical fractures have made unfettered access to natural resources not just a technical issue but a strategic and national security concern.
“For all nations, including Türkiye, securing a stable, sustainable and diversified supply of critical raw materials is no longer a technical issue, but it has become a strategic issue as well as has become a part of national security,” she said.
