After the public debate that was held last Saturday in the town of Ljubovija in Western Serbia, in which the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and several ministers from the Government took part in addition to the representatives of the Rio Tinto company, the editorial office Voice of America she sent questions to that company, among other things about impressions from that event, cooperation with the Government of Serbia, attitude towards the loudest critics of the "Jadar" project, but also about plans for the future.
Rio Tinto says that during the public discussion in Ljubovia, different views on the project were heard, but also that the quality of communication was at an extremely high level.
CONVERSATION WITH CITIZENSConversation with the "people" in Ljubovia / Photo: Vladimir Šporčić/Tanjug
"We understand the concerns of citizens who are under the influence of a large amount of misinformation about the Project, and that's why we appreciate every opportunity to openly discuss with them all the issues that concern them," they say.
They point out that in the last few months, the company Rio Tinto organized "more than 150 such events and spoke with over 4000 citizens in Loznica and surrounding towns."
"Taking into account the amount and intensity of false news about the project that are being distributed through the media about the 'Jadar' Project, we believe that it is necessary to further intensify direct communication with citizens in the coming period."
Open to talking to everyone
The Rio Tinto company states that their highest representatives are continuously staying in Serbia and are in direct communication not only with representatives of competent institutions, but also with numerous representatives of the local community.
"The only difference is that the last meeting of the executive director Jakob Stausholm was in front of the cameras," they add.
Sixty percent of citizens are against the Rio Tinto mine
They state that his arrival is an "indicator of the commitment they as a company have towards Serbia and the project "Jadar" and that his personal responsibility in that project is "understood".
"As for his personal involvement in the supervision of the project so that it is realized in accordance with the highest standards, it is understood since the business success of the 'Jadar' Project directly depends on the application of the highest standards of environmental protection", they point out.
They assure that the Rio Tinto company continuously invited all interested parties to a dialogue, "including the harshest critics of the 'Jadar Project, but that in most cases they received negative responses and a complete unwillingness for dialogue on their part."
Marijana Petković: Attempt to manipulate Rio Tinto
One of the activists who oppose the construction of the lithium mine, Marijana Petković from the Alliance of Environmental Organizations of Serbia, tells Voice of America that it is true that Rio Tinto contacted them, but that the activists stopped all communication with them after several collective meetings where Rio Tinto , as he says, tried to manipulate them.
"After a couple of collective meetings where they tried to manipulate us and pretend that they were having a dialogue with us, while at the same time correcting mistakes on the ground that we knew about and presented to them, we stopped all communication with them and have not met since the spring of 2021. Then tried to meet with us privately, individually, which of course we refused", she says.
Rio_Tinto_Mladenovac_11Protest in Mladenovac / Photo: Marko Dragoslavić/FoNet
"For our part, we remain committed to the dialogue with all interested parties because we believe that it is crucial that the dialogue be conducted on the basis of scientifically based facts." The representatives of the company participated in all formats of dialogue that they were invited to, regardless of who the organizers were, including debates organized by various media, which directly illustrates our commitment to transparent dialogue that is in the best interest of all citizens," said Rio. Tinta and add that they believe it is necessary that the professional dialogue on the "Jadar" Project, based on scientifically based facts, be intensified in the coming period.
They say that the company Rio Tinto is "dedicated to the Jadar project" and that for all the 20 years that they have been operating in Serbia, communication with all governments and competent state institutions has always been correct.
"Also, if the project is implemented, we will be there for at least another 40 years." "For complex projects such as the "Jadar" Project, it is necessary to have continuous communication with the highest representatives of the government and, above all, competent state institutions," they point out.
New phase of Project "Jadar"
Speaking about the continuation of the project, Rio Tinto says that with the re-establishment of the Special Purpose Spatial Plan, the "Jadar" Project has moved into a new phase, but that "another series of steps" need to be implemented in order for the implementation of the Project to potentially begin.
"This includes continuing to develop the project from a legal perspective, updating environmental impact assessments, public consultations and obtaining the necessary permits and approvals", they say.
Serbia LithiumProtest in Šabac / Photo: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic
They point out that "scientific research, carried out by international and domestic experts in the working drafts of three Environmental Impact Assessment Studies, shows that the Jadar Project can be developed safely while respecting the highest domestic and international standards of environmental protection."
"In accordance with the regular legal procedure, it is necessary to submit the final, updated versions of the three studies to the competent ministry. Before that, the state authorities should determine the scope and content for each of the three studies, according to which the company would have a maximum of 12 months to update, complete and submit each study to a regular procedure that includes public inspection. Completion and approval of the final studies are not possible without the necessary conditions, precisely determined scope and content and public inspection of the final documents", they state and conclude that before opening the mine, the company Rio Tinto must "prove to the Government and the citizens of Serbia that it can do it safely. "
Protests throughout Serbia
A new wave of protests against plans for lithium mining in Serbia began on June 28 in Loznica, a city in the west of the country, near which the international mining giant Rio Tinto plans to open a mine.
Since then, protests by citizens who oppose the exploitation of lithium and boron have been held in about fifty cities in Serbia because, as environmental organizations point out, there is a great risk to the environment.
Rio_Tinto_Obrenovac_11Protest in Obrenovac / Photo: Marko Dragoslavić/FoNet
During the last months, the Government of Serbia decided to continue with the construction project of the Rio Tinto mine and "bring it back to life", even though it was stopped two years ago, under the pressure of environmental protests.
Part of the professional public and environmental associations in Serbia have been claiming for years that lithium mining could have major negative consequences for the environment.
Serbia LithiumProtest in Belgrade: Photo: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic
Environmental activists also remind that during its long history, the company "Rio Tinto" has faced several accusations of destroying the environment or violating human rights.
On the other hand, Rio Tinto, which is planning an underground lithium mine, a processing plant and a tailings dump in Jadr, has repeatedly announced that the project is environmentally safe.
However, numerous experts from the country and abroad point out that in the process of lithium exploitation there are inevitably environmental consequences, primarily pollution of the river basin and soil.
The British-Australian company, on the other hand, claims that the Jadar project can be developed safely in compliance with domestic and international standards and with minimal impact on the environment.
Interest in Serbian jadarite
In 2004, the Rio Tinto company found jadarite, a mineral containing lithium and boron, in the Jadar river valley and plans to open a mine that would produce about 58.000 tons of lithium carbonate annually.
JOINT PHOTOGRAPHYOlaš Šolc, Aleksandar Vučić and Maroš Šefčović in Belgrade / Photo: Rade prelić/Tanjug
According to the latest announcements by the authorities in Serbia, that mine could start operating in 2028, if the company meets environmental regulations and obtains the necessary permits.
On July 19, Serbia signed a Memorandum on Critical Raw Materials with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the European Union, which foresees the entire production chain - from the mining of lithium in Rio Tinto's mine in the Jadar river valley, to the production of batteries for electric vehicles.
