Green left MP Ćuta says entire Serbia to be blocked if Rio Tinto continues its lithium project

Member of parliament Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta from the Together party accused the government that it sold Serbia’s natural resources to foreigners and called on environmentalist organizations and the population to revolt against mining projects. “We will not let that happen peacefully,” he stressed and threatened that the central Gazela bridge in Belgrade would be blocked together with the entire country if Rio Tinto continues with its lithium project.

The new Government of Serbia is facing discontent among environmental activists and the local population about mining projects just like the former cabinet of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, but the difference is that now they also have representatives in the National Assembly. Head of the parliamentary Environmental Protection Committee and copresident of the Together (Zajedno) party Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta said the committee’s next meeting would be held in Loznica.

Rio Tinto is still working on its project for lithium mining and processing in the area in western Serbia even though the government formally halted it in January.

The National Assembly still didn’t fulfill its legal obligation to schedule a debate on the people’s initiative to permanently ban lithium exploration and exploitation, Jovanović pointed out

Ahead of the vote on the appointment of the new government, Jovanović called other lawmakers and ministers to also come to the meeting and explain why the company still has an office in the village of Gornje Nedeljice in the territory of the city of Loznica. Furthermore, he pointed out that the National Assembly still didn’t fulfill its legal obligation to schedule a debate on the so-called people’s initiative to permanently ban lithium exploration and exploitation. The petition was signed by 40,000 people, said the top official from the green left Together party.

Jovanović, one of the leaders of protests held in the past two years against Rio Tinto’s Jadar project, accused the government that it is working for foreign interests. “Serbia is an ecological time bomb. You gave the Russians our gas and oil. To the Chinese you gave our copper and gold. Now another predator needs to be appeased, and its name is Rio Tinto. There are more than 50 mines in the new spatial plan,” he stated.

Moreover, exploration was approved for 70 potential gold mines and more than 60 lithium mines, Jovanović asserted.

Serbia is an ecological time bomb, the head of the parliamentary Environmental Protection Committee warned

“That is 15% of our territory. Well, do you think we will peacefully watch how your foreign pals plunder our gold, our lithium and our natural resources? And you plan to let peasants become environmental refugees. I am calling on all environmentalist organizations, all citizens. There is a keyword for 2022, namely revolt. We will not let that happen peacefully,” he threatened. Jovanović claimed that the Gazela bridge on the highway in central Belgrade would be blocked again, together with entire Serbia, if Rio Tinto continues with its project.