Republic of Srpska in BiH to mirror Serbia’s lithium mining projects

Commenting on the memorandum of understanding that Serbia and the European Union just signed on sustainable raw materials, President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik said his entity intends to follow Serbia’s example. Research results have shown an abundance of minerals highly sought in the EU and throughout the world, he said.

President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik commended the new memorandum of understanding between the EU and Serbia on establishing a strategic partnership in the realm of sustainable raw materials and value chains for producing batteries and electric cars. He said the entity, one of the two making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, is ready to participate in similar projects as its territory is rich in minerals. The other entity is called the Federation of BiH.

Commenting on the document’s signing for state-owned news agency Srna, the president of the Republic of Srpska added it is one of the strategic projects that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić fought for. The results will be very visible and mean a lot for Serbia’s further progress and financial prosperity, according to Dodik. The memorandum means new investments would arrive and that the standard of living of the country’s inhabitants will improve, he claimed.

The strategic partnership would be modeled under the framework of the EU’s controversial Critical Raw Materials Act – CRMA. It is centered on Rio Tinto’s Jadar project for a mine of the unique jadarite mineral and a processing plant.

The site is on the territory of the city of Loznica in Serbia’s west, near the border with BiH. The investment was formally revived last week, after the government halted it in January 2022 amid massive environmentalist protests across the country.

Srpska entity sees potential for synergy with Serbia

Dodik stressed that the Republic of Srpska is ready for and interested in joint activities with Serbia in the sector.

Srpska is rich in minerals

He said research results showed that Srpska is rich in minerals highly sought in the EU and throughout the world. Mining them is a great development opportunity for the entity, in Dodik’s view. The entity will continue exploration, he underscored.

Moreover, Dodik wrote on X that investor interest in minerals is rising in the Republic of Srpska.

Citizens oppose possible mine opening

Companies have been expressing interest in exploring lithium in several locations including Lopare, Ugljevik, Bijeljina and Zvornik in the northeast of the Republic of Srpska and BiH, across the Drina river from Loznica in Serbia.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska received in February, and ignored, a petition from 3,711 inhabitants of Lopare against the possibility of mining lithium in the Majevica mountain, but also the entire municipality and including boron, sodium, strontium, potassium and other elements.

Just before that, the semiautonomous Brčko District, formally a condominium of both entities, declared opposition to any attempts of lithium mining on its territory.

Dodik vowed to tackle all environmental and health issues and include experts in the matter.