The United States has signed critical mineral, energy, and technology deals with Finland and Hungary, strengthening economic and security cooperation with the European allies.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday morning to sign a technology deal and a critical minerals framework agreement, which the U.S. State Department said would support technological collaboration and secure critical supplies.
Rubio said Finland’s mining expertise makes it an ideal partner for a critical minerals deal.
“It’s the foundation of tech, and we’re partnering on that today, everything from semiconductors to batteries to defense systems to energy infrastructure,” he told a press conference. “All of this is dependent on that, and Finland, of course, has extraordinary expertise in mining, in refining, and in processing that makes it an ideal and critical partner in the world on this topic.”…