New Government Will Have to Talk to Rio Tinto About Jadar Project

The new government will have to talk to Rio Tinto about the Jadar project, stated the minister of mining and energy of Serbia, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, as announced by the Government of Serbia.

– Rio Tinto is present in our country since 2004, since when they have been receiving permits and buying out land. They have certain rights, they have initiated certain court procedures against our country and we will have to talk about all that after the new government is formed. We haven’t had the opportunity to see the Environmental Impact Assessment Study, nor have public consultations and debates about the project’s environmental impact been held. There are international standards in mining which ensure quality, safety and security, in order to secure sustainable mining – said the minister.

The minister said on TV Happy that lithium was a strategic mineral resource and that the demand for it was growing in the European Union and the world due to the energy transition and the increasing electrification of traffic, but that it was up to Serbia “to see how we can use the opportunity and the natural resources we have.”

– The potential exploitation of lithium would benefit the Loznica area and the western Serbia and contribute to the creation of hundreds of new jobs in the years ahead of us, with a minimum salary of EUR 1,000 and a considerable GDP growth. It is necessary to improve undeveloped parts of the country rich in natural resources, but in a sustainable way, complying with all the standards of environmental protection – the minister said.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Rio Tinto Exploration Dunav d.o.o. Beograd

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Government of Serbia

Rio Tinto

Ministry of Mining and Energy

Dubravka Đedović Handanović

Jadar

lithium