German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised a tentative deal between Serbia and the European Union signed on Friday that paves the way for the disputed excavation of lithium, a huge project that could reduce Europe’s dependency on China but one that has been fiercely criticised by environmentalists.
Mr Scholz attended a “critical raw materials summit” in the Serbian capital where a memorandum of understanding between the EU and Serbia’s government on a “strategic partnership” on sustainable raw materials, battery supply chains and electric vehicles was signed.
He said after the signing ceremony that “this is an important European project”, adding that it is necessary for Europe “to remain sovereign in a changing world and not be dependent on others, which is why new sources of raw materials should be discovered”.
“I’m glad the decision was made,” he said. “I admit, this decision required courage, but it was made at the right moment,” Mr Scholz said.
Germany, the largest carmaker in Europe, is seeking to secure lithium for its electric vehicle makers as the European Union struggles to reduce its dependence on imports from China. Lithium is a critical substance in making batteries for electric vehicles
China currently dominates the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.
“This is a project that is good because it will be developed in an environmentally compatible way and is good because it creates economic activity and prosperity where world history made it possible to bury raw material in the earth, and we are now extracting it,” Mr Scholz said.
Serbia’s constitutional court earlier this month overturned a previous ruling to cancel a 2.4 billion-dollar (£1.86 billion) mining project launched by British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto in the western Serbian valley of Jadar, which is believed to be the largest lithium discovery in Europe.
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’s plans because of potential hazards to the environment.
The protests were the biggest challenge yet to the increasingly autocratic rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
A heavy police presence on Friday prevented groups of protesters from coming close to the government building in the new part of Belgrade where the signing ceremony took place.
Mr Vucic has said the lithium excavation will go ahead only if automakers and battery producers in Germany and other EU states build factories in Serbia, rather than directly exporting raw materials to those countries.
“This day fills me with great hope for our country,” Mr Vucic said. “This will be a turning point and a big change and a quantum leap into the future of Serbia.”
Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but has maintained close political and economic ties with China and Russia, despite Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine. The signed agreement is seen by analysts as a major boost for Mr Vucic and his hard-line policies.
“I really believe that we are making historic opportunity for Serbia and the EU,” said the European Commission vice president, Maros Sefcovic, who signed the memorandum of understanding in the name of the EU.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel