Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić has an-nounced that the country’s population could decide on the future of Rio Tinto’s lithium and boron project in Loznica, in Serbia’s western part, in a referendum.
In a televised appearance, Vučić said the authorities were "ready to hold a referendum on that issue, to see what the people want" and that the decision that is to be taken by the voters "concerns the entire country in the financial sense," as reported by local broadcaster B92.
Rio Tinto’s project has faced opposition from some local activist groups which claim its footprint covers an area around an archeological site and a number of natural monuments.
The miner says the Jadar in Serbia deposit contains high-grade mineral-isation of boron and lithium and "has the potential to produce both battery-grade lithium carbonate and boric acid."