The Serbian authorities have given up on a project to exploit a lithium mine which was to be carried out by the company Rio Tinto, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced on Thursday January 21 after weeks of protests by environmentalists.
This surprise decision by the Serbian government comes a few months before the legislative and presidential elections, scheduled for the spring, as the administration of President Aleksandar Vucic seeks to strengthen voter support.
” We have satisfied all protesters’ demands and put an end to Rio Tinto in Serbia “said Ana Brnabic in a statement broadcast by state television (RTS).
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Reserves discovered in 2006
” Everything related to the Jadar project is complete “, she added, referring to the name of the valley located in western Serbia where this deposit was to be exploited.
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Vast reserves of lithium, an essential element in the composition of electric car batteries, have been discovered in the region of the town of Loznica (west). The Anglo-Australian mining giant has bought land in this region and was waiting to get a final green light from the authorities to start operating this mine.
These reserves were discovered in 2006 and the company planned to invest 2.1 billion euros in this project. But several environmental organizations have risen against what they saw as an environmental disaster.
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(With AFP)