Interview with Yulia Zvorykina, Doctor of Economics, Professor at MIEP MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, member of the Public Councils of the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia and the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.
On the eve of the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Technologies RAREMET-2026, which will be held in Moscow on May 20-22, we talked with one of the key experts in the field of strategic resource economics. Yulia Zvorykina spoke about the importance of the congress, its role in fulfilling the President's instructions and the unique opportunities for science, industry and international cooperation.
— Yulia Viktorovna, why can the RAREMET-2026 Congress be called an event of national importance?
— First of all, because it is organized in line with the direct instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the development of a plan for the development of mining and processing of rare earth metals (REM) with the aim of creating a full production cycle by 2030. Our country has the second largest reserves of REM in the world — 28.7 million tons, but today we produce less than 1% of this volume. The RAREMET 2026 Congress, organized by the Giredmet Institute, a recognized world leader in this field, will be an impulsive event that will launch the process of creating an entire production chain for a new technological order. This is the basis of the future economy and a powerful incentive for the development of the regions of the Far East, the Arctic and Siberia.
— What do you see as a special feature of the format of this congress?
— Its uniqueness lies in the ability to combine three key elements in one discussion: advanced scientific developments, real production tasks and in—depth economic analysis — all with the support of scientists, experts and officials at the highest level. The congress program focuses on four main blocks: from mineral resources and sustainable processing technologies to metallurgy, high purity chemistry, and, finally, the creation of ready-made materials for electronics, energy, and photonics. It is important that this year there will be a separate specialized session on economics, which will allow us to calculate and combine into a single chain the economic effects from all stages of projects — from deposits to high-tech products.
— How relevant is the topic of rare metals on the international agenda?
— Today, rare earth metals have gone far beyond the purely technological sphere. They have acquired not only strategic importance for ensuring our country's leadership, but have also become an important element of the geopolitical context, including in the dialogue with the United States. That is why the International Institute for Energy Policy (IIEP) MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has become a partner of the congress this year. We expect the participation of leading experts from dozens of friendly countries. A rich program of intergovernmental meetings (G2G) is planned on the sidelines of the congress, which underlines its status as a platform for building a new architecture of international cooperation.
— What is the contribution of MIEP MGIMO to the congress program?
— The opportunity to participate in the organization of the Youth Day of the Congress is extremely important for us. International students today show a keen interest in the topic of rare earth metals as a core of global economics and politics, and we expect their active participation. Moreover, we are currently discussing the possibility of creating specialized training programs on atomic energy and rare earth metals in the global economy. We are pleased to invite delegates and experts from the Congress to participate in the development of these programs in order to combine academic knowledge with best practices.
— What, in your opinion, is the main result that RAREMET-2026 should achieve?
— The main result is consolidation. Consolidating the efforts of science, industry, government and international partners to achieve a grandiose but absolutely achievable task: to turn our enormous resource advantage into technological leadership. The Congress is the starting point for the formation of a full—fledged domestic REM industry, which will become the basis for a whole range of high-tech industries and strengthen Russia's position on the world stage.
On the eve of the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Technologies RAREMET-2026, which will be held in Moscow on May 20-22, we talked with one of the key experts in the field of strategic resource economics. Yulia Zvorykina spoke about the importance of the congress, its role in fulfilling the President's instructions and the unique opportunities for science, industry and international cooperation.
— Yulia Viktorovna, why can the RAREMET-2026 Congress be called an event of national importance?
— First of all, because it is organized in line with the direct instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the development of a plan for the development of mining and processing of rare earth metals (REM) with the aim of creating a full production cycle by 2030. Our country has the second largest reserves of REM in the world — 28.7 million tons, but today we produce less than 1% of this volume. The RAREMET 2026 Congress, organized by the Giredmet Institute, a recognized world leader in this field, will be an impulsive event that will launch the process of creating an entire production chain for a new technological order. This is the basis of the future economy and a powerful incentive for the development of the regions of the Far East, the Arctic and Siberia.
— What do you see as a special feature of the format of this congress?
— Its uniqueness lies in the ability to combine three key elements in one discussion: advanced scientific developments, real production tasks and in—depth economic analysis — all with the support of scientists, experts and officials at the highest level. The congress program focuses on four main blocks: from mineral resources and sustainable processing technologies to metallurgy, high purity chemistry, and, finally, the creation of ready-made materials for electronics, energy, and photonics. It is important that this year there will be a separate specialized session on economics, which will allow us to calculate and combine into a single chain the economic effects from all stages of projects — from deposits to high-tech products.
— How relevant is the topic of rare metals on the international agenda?
— Today, rare earth metals have gone far beyond the purely technological sphere. They have acquired not only strategic importance for ensuring our country's leadership, but have also become an important element of the geopolitical context, including in the dialogue with the United States. That is why the International Institute for Energy Policy (IIEP) MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has become a partner of the congress this year. We expect the participation of leading experts from dozens of friendly countries. A rich program of intergovernmental meetings (G2G) is planned on the sidelines of the congress, which underlines its status as a platform for building a new architecture of international cooperation.
— What is the contribution of MIEP MGIMO to the congress program?
— The opportunity to participate in the organization of the Youth Day of the Congress is extremely important for us. International students today show a keen interest in the topic of rare earth metals as a core of global economics and politics, and we expect their active participation. Moreover, we are currently discussing the possibility of creating specialized training programs on atomic energy and rare earth metals in the global economy. We are pleased to invite delegates and experts from the Congress to participate in the development of these programs in order to combine academic knowledge with best practices.
— What, in your opinion, is the main result that RAREMET-2026 should achieve?
— The main result is consolidation. Consolidating the efforts of science, industry, government and international partners to achieve a grandiose but absolutely achievable task: to turn our enormous resource advantage into technological leadership. The Congress is the starting point for the formation of a full—fledged domestic REM industry, which will become the basis for a whole range of high-tech industries and strengthen Russia's position on the world stage.