German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, on Friday in Belgrade, signed a memorandum of understanding between the European Union and Serbia on the strategic partnership for raw materials.
During the signing of the agreement, Scholzi said that the “Jadar” project is good for Serbia and its development.
“It gives me great pleasure to be here in Belgrade for a joyful occasion. We signed important agreements on raw materials and this is something that should be appreciated. We need to discover raw materials all over the world. I am glad that this decision was made at the right time, above all, we need batteries, and the Jadar project is first of all good for Serbia and for the defense of the entire region. We will help this happen. This will create a better life for citizens because it will be developed with environmental measures and is of great importance for the future”, said Scholz, advocating for the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU.
Vucic said that this agreement will bring at least 6 billion euros of new investments to Serbia. He guaranteed that the project will be developed under ecological standards to protect the environment.
The deal means importing minerals, including lithium, into the European Union that are critical to the bloc’s digital and green transition. Lithium is particularly needed for the production of electric vehicles, and Germany, as the largest producer in Europe, has a strong interest in providing it.
The Jadar mine, near the town of Lloznica in western Serbia, holds some of the largest lithium reserves in Europe. The project signed between the EU and Serbia will be developed there.
The extraction of minerals from the Jadar mine was planned years earlier, but was stopped due to citizen protests. The Constitutional Court in Serbia then gave permission for the works to continue.
