Vučić on lithium: "Don't mislead good people. One lie after another" PHOTO

President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, addressed the public from Villa Mir.

At the beginning of his speech, he congratulated all the athletes on their success at the Olympic Games, and wished Novak Djokovic good luck in the match that starts at 7 p.m.

"Today I have more important news for the people of Serbia and several important explanations. I once again congratulate Mikec and Arunović on the gold medal, I want to thank them for everything they have done for our country and to wish luck to our Djokovic and basketball players tonight," he said.

Then he spoke about economic issues, about increases in wages and pensions.

He also spoke about the Rio Tinto project.

Speaking about Jadar, he says it's hard to talk about anything when things become emotional rather than rational.

"I want to speak to those people who, I know, love Serbia and who are deceived by lies that are literally being sown. People are being served by lies that have been sown in the previous days," he pointed out.

"Unfortunately, this is something that happens to us and it is almost impossible to discuss," he said.

Until we get guarantees, there will be no digging, he says.

"We have to collect all the documentation. We will take the best Serbian and foreign environmental protection experts who will be able to guarantee us that all people will be absolutely safe, that they will be able to do their jobs and that they will be able to do everything they have worked so far and that they will be able to be more successful than before. That is the first condition without which we will not even discuss anything further," he said.

He says that the state will also talk to people who sold their property in the process of expropriation through a direct deal with Rio Tinto.

"Environmental protection will be assigned to the biggest European, world and domestic experts. It was offered to our political opponents, they refused it, saying "we will continue to deceive the people". Point 4 is our fight for the complete value chain," said Vučić.

The mine is on 140 hectares with all other necessary capacities.

"It will not exceed 220 hectares, and only the Kolubara surface mine is 60,000 hectares," said Vučić.

He urged political opponents not to mislead the people. It was also referred to the writings of certain media that lithium mining causes problems in newborns.

"Lie after lie," he pointed out. "I listened the previous days, I'm going to repeat: 'Vučić a fag, Vučić the rascal, Vučić the monkey and Vučić the thief', I heard all that, amplify it in the future as well, congratulations on the argumentation''.

Come on, you want to insult Albanians, I have nothing in common with that, I won't praise you because you think that I'm a jerk? Why do they hate me in Pristina? What do they hate most about the possibility that Serbia can use lithium? They blame me for all their problems, for not being able to realize their country, and I, who stood in their way a hundred times. Because I'm the only president who tried to go to Jasenovac, because I have hundreds of billions that you make up every day."

"During all these 12 years, Serbia was everything to me. I lived for it, from every accident, tragedy, flood, fight for every member legally, during all that time Serbia grew and progressed faster than all others in our environment. Yes, Serbia is living the best in its history. There are no better times for Serbian history, I said the absolute truth, and we never like to accept and admit it. In the difficult reforms we have implemented, Serbia is progressing," he added.

He also addressed the opposition leaders.

"You don't even talk about Ana Brnabić, Dubravka, Vucevic here, I'm bothering you. It was all ordered by a tycoon, a criminal, Dragan Šolak, whom I opposed in his desire to rule this country. I'm proud of the fact that I am that man, that I am not afraid of his connections. I have dedicated 12 years of hard work. I have not spent a single vacation in those 12 years. I have not been a good parent to my grown children and daughter, I wasn't a good parent to them in those 12 years, I wasn't a good parent even to the third child. Let's go to the referendum on the impeachment of the president. There is no problem. And I'm no longer president, I'm not even going to finish my mandate," he said.

He pointed out that there will be no lithium mining for a year and a half.

"Since you know that the topic is not related to Jadar, but the topic is Vučić, so great, do it. Don't mislead good people. There is no liquid waste. There is solid waste, for which we will not even give them a landfill, because we are setting that condition for them now," he pointed out.