Mongolia to step up hunt for nickel, lithium and rare earths

TOKYO -- Mongolia seeks to expand its exploration for new deposits of critical minerals including nickel, lithium and rare earths, parliament chief Gombojav Zandanshatar told Nikkei Asia in an interview.

As companies aim to diversify their supply chains for critical minerals to reduce procurement risks, the trend "encourages discovery exploration" for "new mining deposits of critical metals," said Zandanshatar, chairman of the State Great Hural. He was speaking on the sidelines of Nikkei's Future of Asia conference in Tokyo.