We are ready for dialogue - Jadar mine is safe

The continuation of the project solely depends on the competent institutions of Serbia.

He told TV Prva that the Rio Tinto company published the study to encourage professional debate, i.e. dialogue, and to avoid untruths about the project, but also to show that it has been working studiously on that project for 20 years and to involve the public, as well as experts who understand the subject.

"At this moment, our goal is only to underline that we are ready for dialogue based on facts," Mujović said.

He also reminded that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, called for a broad public discussion regarding this issue and stated that the company expects all interested individuals to participate in this public discussion, but above all universities, faculties, experts, professors, as well as the Academy of Sciences and non-governmental organizations with constructive questions, not assumptions and guesswork.

"Based on those conversations with them, we would certainly consider if it were justified in a professional sense to improve the protection measures that we have foreseen for the project and thus improve the project and contribute to its quality," Mujović explained.

He emphasized that the Jadar project was done professionally and monitored by experts. All public fear about the project comes from a bunch of circulating falsehoods.

"Jadar is an underground mine at a great depth, and it is completely safe to establish the production and exploitation of ore containing jadarite. The safety of this mine, based on years of research by eminent companies, has shown that the project has been safe and done well," he said.

Mujović explained that it is an underground mine that is connected to the surface with only two shafts, one of which is used to bring out the ore that is being exploited, and the other is for ventilation and the exit of workers.

"The mine is completely separated from the surface of the ground, and the public fear comes from the falsehoods being spread about the project. One is that it is a surface mine, and it is underground, the other is that sulfuric acid will be used in a completely irrational way, as completely isolated from the atmosphere, from the air, and thus it is protected," he said.