Thousands protest Serbia's deal with the European Union to excavate lithium
Thousands of people have rallied in several towns in Serbia to protest a lithium excavation project the Balkan country’s government recently signed with the European Union
SABAC, Serbia — Thousands of people rallied in several towns in Serbia on Monday to protest a lithium excavation project the Balkan country's government recently signed with the European Union.
The protests were held simultaneously in the western town of Sabac and the central towns of Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig and Barajevo. They followed similar gatherings in other Serbian towns in recent weeks.
The deal reached earlier this month on “critical raw materials" could reduce Europe’s dependency on China and push Serbia, which has close ties to Russia and China, closer to the EU. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the summit in Belgrade.
The deal, however, has been fiercely criticized by environmentalists and opposition groups in Serbia who argue it would cause irreversible damage to the environment while bringing little benefit to its citizens.
The biggest lithium reserve in Serbia lies in a western valley that is rich in fertile land and water. Multinational Rio Tinto company had started an exploration project in the area several years ago which sparked huge opposition, forcing its suspension.
Earlier this month, however, Serbia’s constitutional court overturned the government 's previous decision to cancel a $2.4 billion mining project launched by the British-Australian mining company in the Jadar valley, paving the way for its revival.
The Serbian government's decision to cancel the excavation plans came after thousands of protesters in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia blocked major roads and bridges in 2021 to oppose Rio Tinto. Those
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