Pakistan13 November, 20253 min read
Pakistan, France Sign Deal to Explore Mining Investments in Chaghi's Copper, Gold and Rare Earth Reserves
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Pakistan and France agreed to jointly explore minerals and mining investment opportunities Agreement was formalized during the 'Pakistan’s Minerals Economy: Gateway to Growth' webinar
6 outlets told this the same way.
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Pakistan–France mining cooperation
Pakistan and France agreed to deepen cooperation on investment, exploration, and sustainable development in Pakistan's minerals and mining sector, an outcome announced during a high-level webinar titled Pakistan's Minerals Economy: Gateway to Growth co-hosted by the Pakistani government and the French Embassy. TechJuice reports the partnership emphasized Pakistan's rich resources, notably copper, gold and rare earths in the Chaghi belt, and that France expressed strong interest in sharing expertise and increasing corporate engagement. Pakistan's Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik highlighted the government's commitment to a transparent regulatory framework and investor facilitation via the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
“Pakistan and France have agreed to deepen cooperation in Pakistan’s minerals and mining sector — targeting investment, exploration and sustainable development — during a high-level webinar titled ‘Pakistan’s Minerals Economy: Gateway to Growth,’ organized by the Pakistani government and the French Embassy.”
Arab News PK states Islamabad invited French firms to take part in exploration and value-addition projects under the SIFC framework and frames the move as part of Pakistan's effort to promote its mineral economy to diversify exports and attract foreign capital. ProPakistani and The News International, in the material provided, do not contain substantive coverage of this deal and instead note the absence of full article text.
Pakistan mineral investment overview
The deal spotlights Pakistan’s mineral potential and the global demand driving interest. TechJuice highlights Chaghi’s copper, gold and rare earths and links growing global demand for minerals like copper, lithium and rare earths to green-energy technologies, positioning Pakistan as a target for strategic investment.
Arab News PK reports Pakistan estimates its mineral resources at $6-8 trillion across deposits including copper, gold, lithium, coal, iron ore and chromite, and notes that the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 drew more than 5,000 delegates from over 50 countries and produced 16 memorandums of understanding. Snippets from ProPakistani and The News International do not add further resource detail and indicate their full texts were not available for inclusion here.
Pakistan mining sector
Both sources underline opportunities but also acknowledge structural challenges that have limited the mining sector’s contribution to Pakistan’s economy. Arab News PK explicitly states the mining sector remains underdeveloped, contributing only about 2–2.5% of GDP. It lists obstacles including inadequate infrastructure, limited financing and processing capacity, weak regulatory and data transparency, high exploration costs, and security and jurisdictional challenges.
“Despite the potential, the mining sector remains underdeveloped, contributing only about 2–2.5% of GDP, hindered by inadequate infrastructure, limited financing and processing capacity, weak regulatory and data transparency, high exploration costs, and security and jurisdictional challenges.”
TechJuice notes the government’s intent to provide a transparent regulatory framework and investor facilitation via SIFC. TechJuice also reports French interest in sustainable mining practices and increased corporate engagement as part of the initiative. The ProPakistani and The News International snippets provided do not supply further elaboration.
Pakistan mining partnerships
Both TechJuice and Arab News PK say the initiative aims to attract international investment and promote sustainable mining practices as Pakistan pursues multiple international partnerships. TechJuice reports that senior Pakistani officials, state-owned energy firms, French business representatives and an advisor to the French president on mining participated in the webinar, framing the initiative as focused on long-term growth and sustainable practices.
Arab News PK situates French engagement within Pakistan’s broader push, noting eagerness from French officials and Pakistan’s state oil and gas CEO to pursue sustainable, long-term partnerships and that Pakistan is also pursuing ties with the US, Saudi Arabia and China while targeting sites such as the Chaghi belt and Reko Diq. The other two provided sources add no further detail because their snippets are requests for article text.
