The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

The United States is holding “exploratory talks” with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over a deal that would give it access to the African nation’s critical minerals in exchange for military support, the Financial Times reported late on Friday.

A State Department spokesperson said the Democratic Republic of Congo holds a significant share of the world's critical minerals.

The United States is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal.

The United States is in preliminary discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) regarding a potential minerals-for-security agreement. ・Preliminary discussions between the U.S. and DRC involve a potential minerals-for-security agreement ・The deal would grant U.

The United States is considering a critical minerals partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a State Department statement. This follows outreach from a Congolese senator proposing