delivered the inaugural speech at the Intersessional Meeting of Mining Ministers of the 2025 Mines Ministries of the Americas Conference (CAMMA), an event led by Peru and held as part of the
international mining convention in Toronto, Canada.
In his address, the Peruvian government official called on his counterparts from other countries to embrace the challenges and opportunities presented by the mining sector, particularly in the areas of energy transition, the growing demand for critical and strategic minerals, and the need to strengthen sustainability and governance in the industry.
"These factors demand that we work together to develop public policies that balance economic competitiveness with environmental and social responsibility," Montero emphasized, adding that CAMMA is a key platform for developing common strategies to address these challenges.
The head of the
Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) reflected on the importance of establishing common strategies to enhance the mining industry across the continent. He proposed that one alternative is seawater desalination for use in the extractive sector.
"As mining countries, we can no longer continue debating the use of surface water with farming communities. We must transition, whenever possible, to seawater desalination. Each project will need to conduct a financial analysis of this key sustainability factor (...) If we don't take these steps, we cannot move forward," he underlined.
Montero highlighted that the recent CAMMA Declaration, issued at last year's conference in Lima (2024), reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening the institutional framework of the organization, promoting its official recognition as a political and technical support body.
Likewise, the Cabinet member emphasized the importance of sharing experiences related to geological information, technological innovation, mining planning, and efforts to combat illegal mining, aiming to strengthen capacities among countries in the Americas and creating opportunities for inclusive development.
"In this session, we will discuss the proposal to enhance CAMMA, with the goal of consolidating it as an effective and high-impact cooperation mechanism for regional mining governance. To this end, coordinated efforts with international organizations such as ECLAC, IDB, IGF, OLAMI, and the World Bank are essential," he added.
Peru Promotes Mining Investment Abroad
Prior to this meeting, the minister led the inauguration of the Peru Stand at PDAC 2025 and emphasized that he would be making key announcements at the global mining convention, addressing critical issues to boost Peru's mining growth through private sector participation.
"We want to take Peruvian mining abroad, this is a novel approach and an interesting shift. That means not only foreign investments in Peru but also Peruvian investments abroad. We will pursue this, and there is a country that could be an important destination," he stated.
Moreover, Minister Montero met with John Gladston, Director of Corporate Affairs at First Quantum Minerals, who reaffirmed the company's interest in advancing La Granja mining project in Cajamarca region, with estimated investments of US$7 billion.
Similarly, the government official spoke with a delegation from the multinational Boroo, led by Khurelbaatar Ganbat, Chief Investment Officer, who provided updates on progress of the Lagunas Norte and Tres Cruces Projects in La Libertad region.
The Cabinet member also held a meeting with Paul Gomez, General Manager of Gold Fields La Cima, and Domingo Drago, Vice-President of External Affairs for the Americas at Gold Fields, who highlighted the progress of their brownfield mining projects in Peru.
Earlier in the day, he met with Diego Pini, Regional Director of Acciona Infrastructure, and Ignacio Baena, Director of Transmission Lines in Peru at Acciona Group, who reaffirmed the company's commitment to continuing investments in our country, recognizing its high potential for developing new renewable energy projects.