The United States and Colombia have signed two agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals and expanding civil nuclear collaboration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula signed the arrangements in Barranquilla during Rubio’s visit to Colombia. The US State Department described the initiatives as part of efforts to deepen the longstanding partnership between the two countries and strengthen economic and security cooperation in the Western Hemisphere.
Under the critical-minerals framework, Washington and Bogotá will work towards building secure, diversified and fair supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. The two governments have committed to mobilising public and private-sector support to identify and finance mining and processing projects within six months. Potential support mechanisms include government guarantees, loans, equity investments, insurance, regulatory assistance and arrangements linked to future production.
The agreement also provides for measures aimed at making critical-mineral projects easier to develop while protecting strategic interests. These include streamlined permitting, market-protective pricing mechanisms such as price floors and national security reviews of transactions involving critical-mineral assets. The framework also covers investment in mineral-recycling technologies and cooperation in geological mapping, areas that could support longer-term access to strategically important resources.
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The second arrangement establishes a framework for strategic civil nuclear cooperation as Colombia considers nuclear power as part of its efforts to strengthen energy security. The cooperation will operate within Colombia’s obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and safeguards administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Discussions could include US nuclear technologies such as advanced and small modular reactors, along with American nuclear fuel, equipment and related services.
The proposed nuclear cooperation could extend beyond electricity generation to areas including research reactors, radioisotopes, nuclear medicine, agriculture and nuclear waste management. Both governments have committed to maintaining high standards for nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation. The agreements therefore broaden the scope of bilateral economic and energy cooperation while keeping the nuclear partnership within established international safeguards.
Before travelling to Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, Rubio described the three-country tour as part of a broader US effort to strengthen relations across the Western Hemisphere. He highlighted cooperation on regional security, transnational criminal activity and economic engagement, while also indicating Washington’s interest in concluding trade agreements with the three countries. The agreements with Colombia form part of that wider effort to deepen US economic and strategic engagement in the region.
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