Thousands of people demonstrated on Monday in several cities in Serbia to protest against a lithium excavation project that the Government of the Balkan country recently signed with the European Union (EU).
Las protests were celebrated simultaneously in cities such as Savac, Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig and Barajevo, and followed similar concentrations in other towns in Serbia in the last weeks.
He agreement reached this month on “critical raw materials” could reduce European dependence on China. It could also have the effect of bring Serbia closerwhich maintains close ties with Russia and China, to the EU.
However, the agreement has been harshly criticized by environmentalists and Serbian opposition groupswhich they maintain would cause irreversible damage to the environment and would report minimum benefits to citizens serbians.
The largest lithium reserve of Serbia is located in a western valley rich in fertile land and water. The multinational Rio Tinto had started an exploration project in the area several years ago that aroused enormous opposition, forcing it to be suspended.
A project that has a history of controversy
Earlier this month, the constitutional Court of Serbia annulled the previous decision of the Government to cancel the $2.4 billion mining project started by the British-American company, paving the way for its reactivation.
The decision of the Government of cancel excavation plans in early 2022 occurred after Thousands of protesters will block Belgrade’s main roads and bridges and other places in Serbia from the end of 2021.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has declared that excavations will not begin before 2028 and that the Government will seek environmental guarantees firms before allowing them. Some government sources have hinted that a referendum on the issue.
