Diklic: Cooperation in the Field of Critical Raw Materials with France Could Distance Citizens from the European Path

Emmanuel Macron, Aleksandar Vucic, Aug. 29 2024 (BETAPHOTO/Milos Miskov)

The president of the European Movement in Serbia, Radomir Diklic, said on Aug. 2 that the document on cooperation in the field of critical raw materials, signed during last week’s visit to Belgrade by French President Emmanuel Macron, could drive Serbian citizens away from the idea of Serbia's integration into Europe.

"The 'Rafales', a nuclear power plant, the environment, the metro... All of that has overshadowed the fact that during the visit, a document was signed on cooperation in the field of 'critical raw materials', which for Serbia is a euphemism for lithium. So much about whose side France is on when it comes to lithium mining," Diklic said in an interview with the Nova newspaper.

Diklic, the director of BETA News Agency, a former Serbian ambassador to France, also said that, "nothing in diplomacy is definitive, not even the West turning a blind eye" to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s actions.

"France owns the best, globally recognized technology in the domain of nuclear power plants. If Serbia must move towards this form of energy, France is the right choice. This will, of course, have political consequences and is indeed a signal that Vucic at this point wants to get closer to the West, France to be precise, and through it, to the EU," Diklic explained.

Diklic also said that thanks to Macron's visit, France secured an order worth EUR 2.7 billion for 12 Rafale fighter jets, adding that if public reports citing the aircraft's price were accurate, Serbia was paying more for the jets than anyone else.