A month after the signing of the framework memorandum between Armenia and the US on securing of supply in the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths, the Armenian side is keeping secret what work is being done to implement the provisions of this memorandum.

Back on June 2, Armenian News-NEWS.am had petitioned to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Republic of Armenia (RA) with a written request, asking a number of questions related to the memorandum and of interest to the public.

In particular, we had asked whether, within the framework of the signed memorandum or independently of it, the American side—in the person of state agencies or private companies—had applied to the ministry to obtain permission to conduct subsurface studies to search for, explore, and assess mines. And in case of a positive answer, we had asked to clarify which territories or mines it is talking about.

We had asked the following as will:

2. Have petitions been received from the American side or organizations affiliated with them to conduct additional exploration and exploitation exploration of exploited mines in order to discover additional reserves of minerals, specify their quantity and quality?

3. In particular, which minerals and rare minerals—for example, lithium, molybdenum, copper, etc.—has the American side shown the greatest interest in the exploration or extraction?

4. Is it planned to create a joint working group or commission within the framework of the memorandum that will assess the rare mineral reserves in Armenia and develop investment programs for their extraction?

5. Are there clear timeframes or sequential steps as to when the practical application of the memorandum's provisions—for example, in the form of geological exploration or joint programs—will begin

In response, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia informed that the signed memorandum reflects the interest of the two countries in deepening cooperation in the indicated direction and defines the scope of this cooperation.

"There have been public references to the framework memorandum and the latter’s goals, including by the RA Prime Minister during the briefing on May 28 of this year. At the same time, we inform that the public will be properly informed, as necessary, about the implementation of specific programs within the framework of the Memorandum," the response sent to the website reads.

At a press briefing, referring to the Armenian memorandum and the study of Armenia's subsoil within its framework, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had noted as follows:

"There are minerals that 40 to 50 years ago did not arouse any interest, except for scientific, but today they are of significant importance in the economy, production and industry, artificial intelligence, the production of technological products. If you noticed, the memorandum talks about the development of the capabilities of the geological services of Armenia, because now the subsoil is not always explored by drilling. There are already space technologies that also locate certain places by scanning the earth. I mean that, in essence, we will work with the United States to form a new geological map of Armenia. Even if there are data before, they were not explored, because some materials, minerals, some minerals did not represent production interests 50 years ago."

It is noteworthy that neither the official response of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia nor the prime minister's press briefing contained any clear wording that would answer the direct questions raised by us.

The text of the aforesaid memorandum only makes it clear that within six months from the date of its signing, the participants intend to explore ways to promote, if possible, the provision of potentially significant funding for projects being implemented in each country, as a result of which it is planned to produce final products for delivery to buyers in the US and Armenia. This concerns the supply of minerals “that are important for the manufacturing and defense industries of both countries.”

Armenia’s subsoil is rich in molybdenum and copper, and rare elements include rhenium, selenium, tellurium, and bismuth—as well as lithium, which is of great interest, which are of vital importance in high-tech and military industries, but there are no official clear data on their actual reserves.

Until it is clarified what specific minerals the American side is interested in, the real value—both in economic, ecological, and geopolitical terms—of this strategic deal raises serious doubts.

Whether Washington's expectations from the wealth of Armenian subsoil will be justified or not, time will tell. However, the main question is different: what price will Armenia pay for supplying its mineral wealth to the American defense industry, and will that price be too high for the security of the Armenian state?