Several rallies took place across Serbia to protest against the agreement on the extraction of the precious metal near Loznica.
Several thousand people demonstrated in Serbia to protest against the revival of alithium extraction which the Serbian government recently signed with the European Union.
Simultaneous protests took place in cities including Savac, Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig and Barajevo, following similar rallies in recent weeks.
Lithium, a danger for the environment
The agreement signed earlier this month between Serbia and the EU aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on China for raw materials.
However, the project was strongly criticized by environmentalists and opposition groups in Serbia. They claim that the operations would cause irreversible danger to the valley rich in fertile land and water, located near the mines, while bringing only minimal benefits to Serbian citizens.
Government guarantees risk-free project
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said operations would not begin before 2028 and that the government would seek firm environmental guarantees before allowing excavations.
Some government officials have suggested that a referendum on the issue could also be held.
