Vučić for the eighth hour with citizens in Ljubovija; I told Rio Tinto: "Cut profits, protect environment"

Vučić was welcomed by a large number of citizens in Ljubovija.

Rio Tinto Director Jakob Stausholm and the main representative of Rio Tinto in Serbia Marijanti Babić, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedović, Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar as well as Finance Minister Siniša Mali and Minister of Environmental Protection Irena Vujović are present at the talks.

Vučić: Rio Tinto has been here for 23 years, they received the most important permit

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said this evening that the company Rio Tinto has been here for 23 years and that they received the most important permit back in 2012, by changing the law.

"They won't leave easily, they have been here for 23 years, they came in 2001, they got all the permits. In 2012, they got the most important permit, the amendment of the law. They will sue us, they will sue the state for several billions, and we have screwed up", said the president in response to the citizens' question whether, if our state institutions determine that they are not working properly, they can terminate cooperation and whether this is possible.

The CEO of Rio Tinto, Jakob Stausholm, answered the question and said that if the project receives the support of the government and if the community has nothing against it, he will do everything to make it a successful project for Serbia.

"We would like to increase our footprint in Europe and in Serbia. I fully understand your concern. We are not doing a marketing campaign here, today it is about listening and trying to answer your questions. But we certainly would love to engage with you and everything we do around the world. We will present it to you transparently," he said.

He added that Serbia is a mining country with a lot of potential and qualified geological and mining engineers. Environmental protection engineer from Rio Tinto, Jovan Milićević, said that the company never denied the impact of the "Jadar" project on the environment, because that impact is inevitable, but that the scale of that impact is acceptable for the environment.

"We have a complex on 220 hectares. If you plant corn on 220 hectares, you will change the microclimate, you will bring new species, you will lose the birds that used to live there. This is called an impact. So, the very change of land use is an impact," explained Milićević, answering to the citizen's criticism that the company is deceiving the public.

Milićević reminded that agricultural production will be possible near the potential mine.

"We are always available to talk. Come to the Infocenter and you will get answers to your questions," he said.

The main representative of Rio Tinto in Serbia, Country Head, Marijanti Babić, invited the inspection to visit every piezometer that the company has installed in the field. "But we had a situation where the inspector hid and ran away from the field, because he was rushed by the same people who say that nothing grows around piezometers," said Babić, responding to criticism that the company is not transparent in its communication with the public.

She points out that in the last few months they talked to more than 4,000 citizens in Loznica, as well as held presentations in local communities.

"Come ro us, pose the questions, let's find a better solution together," Babić said to the citizens of Ljubovija.

Milan Pantelić from Donja Brezovica

"The majority of the local people are against the mine. We deal with rural tourism, among other things. We would not have a mine either in Jadar or in Radjevina. Wherever there was a mine, something was always not good. We see how it is in Bor, how it is in Majdanpek. We have seen the consequences of that mine. We shouldn't bring a mine to a place where people deal with healthy food and agriculture," Pantelić pointed out, to which President Vučić replied:

"I am glad that I could hear you. I understand that you feel threatened as you are located 2 kilometers from the landfill. You will be able to have healthy food. And as for the plum trees, the plum is now at a price, and it will be even more. There is another campaign going on, and that's what Bor and Majdanpek look like. And then I wondered where it was going. Then a representative from Europe said to me: have you been to Majdanpek? I probably blushed with anger realizing who is behind it. It's about open pits that cover 10,000 hectares. I saw what a terrible and apocalyptic place they are being depicted. We shut down mining in this country. We shut down the Faculty of Mining and Geology. We have lithium in Jadar, period. Nowhere else in Serbia."

Vučić: Distrust of citizens in Rio Tinto is the biggest problem, it's good that the director came

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, assessed this evening that the biggest problem regarding the "Jadar" project is citizens' distrust of the Rio Tinto company, stating that it is good that the director of that company, Jakob Stausholm, came to hear their opinion.

Vučić assessed that the issue of the mine is not whether someone wants to work in the mine or not, but whether the decision to open the mine is in line with the state's interests and the interests of the majority of Serbian citizens.

"It is the state that makes the decision. That is why there is expropriation and many other measures that the state can take. I am most afraid of their desire (Rio Tinto) for more profit, since I am sure that the technologies at that level are such that they can do everything," said Vučić, responding to Boris Karajčić from Gornje Nedeljice, who claims that no one wants to risk their life working underground.

As he says, the mining job is difficult, and the wages are not high enough, although they are somewhat higher.

"Some other people can't wait to work in such a place. It's an underground mine, not an open-pit mine. We'll have to have them in the future," said Vučić.

The president points out that if it is estimated that people's health will not be endangered and that no river will be poisoned, the project will be implemented.

"If we have this much doubt, there is no money for which we will go into it," said Vučić.

When asked how domestic institutions will control the activities of Rio Tinto, the president says that enormous pressure is needed to get answers.

"We still have at least 22 months to talk. It's a company fighting for profit, they want to make money. They don't care about you or me, they want more money in the account," he said.

President states that he would do everything to see this project realized because, according to him, it would enable the development and progress of Loznica and the entire surrounding area.

"Our biggest problem is distrust in Rio Tinto. It's good that Jakob came, he should have come earlier, to hear and see what you think and what we all think," said Vučić.

Vučić said that he understands people's fear and that they feel threatened about lithium, but that they should look at all opinions and aspects, before making decisions about whether they are for or against, and that it is important to talk.

Vučić is responding to Milan Pantelić from the village of Donje Brezovice, in the municipality of Krupanj in Radjevina, who said that he is against the mining of lithium and mines, because the landfill will be only two kilometers from his place, where there is also a natural source of water which supplies 22 households. President said that he understood his fear, but that it was important to talk.

He emphasized that if someone wants to work, to produce, the state will help him. He pointed out that we have contracts with Arab countries on the export of plums and an agreement on free trade with China, which opens the possibility for us to export and sell goods.

"I wish you had listened more carefully, because I think you can do a better job. I think you will be able to have healthy food, so as for the million plum trees, the plum is now at a premium and there will be more, because we made the best contacts with Arab countries, so I visited the Jovanović family, which exports a good part of its plums to Arab countries and buys them from the hosts and with China," said Vučić.

The president said that he heard several stories about where lithium can be mined and pointed out that unfortunately it is only found in Jadar and nowhere else.

"Unfortunately, it does not exist. And the fact that we are going to dig stone and limestone and so on, we will have to do that, because we have to live. You know, we have to build railways, we have to build roads, someone in this country has to do something ", he said.

He stated that he might buy the mine and TE "Ugljevik" in Bosnia and Herzegovina because we will not have enough electricity until we build a mini-nuclear, modular power plant.

"The state has to survive. And because of what you have done, there is no digging, and the one who tells you that means that limestone will not be dug, that nothing will be dug. He is either crazy or has decided to abolish the state. It won't happen. And lithium doesn't exist anywhere else, it only exists in Jadar," he concluded.