Rio Tinto suspends proposed lithium mine in Serbia after protests

Rio Tinto has suspended plans to build Europe’s largest lithium mine after sustained protests across the country in opposition to the project. Local authorities in the Serbian town of Loznica voted to suspend a regional development plan that permitted the excavation of lithium, a vote which followed the suspension last week of two key laws in Serbia’s parliament that ecologists said would help the multinational firm start the project.
In response, Rio Tinto said in a statement that it worked in accordance with laws and the highest professional standards throughout its 10-year presence in Serbia to launch “the largest mining investment in this part of the world”.