Scholz, Sefcovic Guarantee Highest Ecological Standards in Mining of Lithium in Serbia

Maros Sefcovic in Belgrade, July 19 2024 (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the European Commission (EC) Vice President Maros Sefcovic said in Belgrade, on July 19, that lithium mining in Serbia would be conducted in accordance with the highest global environmental standards, and that it would bring Serbia significant foreign investments, good economic prospects, and many new jobs.

Scholz said at a press conference with Sefcovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that the new agreements would contribute to reducing Europe's dependence on other countries in the field of sustainable raw materials. "These agreements will strengthen cooperation in the supply of raw materials, they are of inestimable value. This is an important European project that will help Europe remain sovereign in a changing world, not dependent on others. We must reduce our dependence, we must have a resilient structure in supply chains," Scholz said.

EC vice president Maros Sefcovic responsible for the European Green Deal, said that the agreement represented a step by Serbia towards the EU, and that lithium mining would open the door to the largest foreign investments in Serbia's history. He added that lithium mining was starting in Serbia because the country’s preparations were "the most advanced," even though projects were also being prepared in Finland, Czechia and Portugal.

Vucic said that in terms of raw materials Serbia would be a reliable partner to the EU and Germany, and that it had respected all legal procedures with regard to that. Asked if the EU could rely on the agreements on raw materials, as well as other metals, given Serbia's relations with China, Vucic said that that went without saying.