Serbia has Mining Treasures but Health Comes First -Apr14/24
Two years after the government suspended the "Jadar" project of the Rio Tinto company, there is growing talk about its continuation. Is the state planning a serious study on the advantages and disadvantages of the "Jadar" project and its economic and environmental cost?
- We really have a treasure, but what is important to explain to citizens - the economy is not and must not come before people`s health and that goes without saying. So, first of all, studies on protection and impact on the environment will be carried out, using the most modern technologies used in the most developed countries. Then we will talk further.
Lithium is one of the key critical raw materials of the 21st century and a crucial raw material for the implementation of the green transition. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the USA and in more than 15 EU countries, such as Germany, France, Austria, Finland, various lithium research and exploitation projects are underway. In the EU, they expect the use of lithium to grow incredibly in the coming years, according to some estimates, from 2020 to 2030, the need for lithium is expected to increase twenty-fold. Should Serbia finally be among the most successful and developed? I have worked in those markets, and I think the answer is clear. And then it will bring benefits above all to our people, more opportunities for employment, higher salaries and pensions, better living standards.
M. Dedi - Mining Minister