u.s. president donald trump afghan president ashraf ghani thursday back company unite state develop afghanistan reserve rare earth minerals despite formidable obstacles industrial mine country comment meet new york late series u.s. officials afghan government emphasize potential strategic value afghanistan vast largely untapped mineral reserve leaders also reiterate commitment trump new south asia strategy defeat terrorism 16 years afghanistan u.s. look ways offset billions dollars spend every year prop government kabul mine increasingly see way agree initiatives would help american company develop materials critical national security grow afghanistan economy create new job countries therefore defray cost unite state assistance afghans become self-reliant white house say u.s. geological survey estimate potential value afghanistan minerals include gold gemstones well substances like lithium rare earth vital modern electronics much trillion lack even basic transport industrial infrastructure well grow insurgency take almost half country government control mean minerals impossible exploit economically price rare earth shoot recently demand electric vehicle technology grow fuel talk value could compensate high risk get grind addition rare earth sector overwhelmingly dominate china cause concern washington beijing stranglehold raw materials vital modern defense technology prompt interest find alternative source however remain unclear feasible development plan afghanistan could develop future extract minerals remain difficult costly process fact large part economic reserve rare earth afghanistan locate helmand province mostly taliban control mean miners likely look easy opportunities elsewhere mike harrowell analyst research firm harwind base sydney say attempt rare earth extraction afghanistan moment make sense almost level unless treat government-funded nation-building project simple business technology quite tightly hold cost lot say many well-studied project north america assess rare earth boom 2010 still require fund would project one afghanistan trump ghani agree u.s. help develop afghanistan 's rare earth minerals