Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to prepare a program for the development of rare earth metals by November at the latest, „Reuters“ reports, BTA reports.
Putin made his statement during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Russia has the fifth largest reserves of rare earth metals in the world, key raw materials for the production of lasers, electronics and military equipment. Moscow has announced plans to increase production to limit its dependence on imports from China, which dominates the global market in this sector.