Residents of Serbia's lithium-rich region vow to block EU-backed drilling

Zlatko Kokanovic doesn't want a lithium mine in his backyard and will do everything he can to prevent it from opening. “All of us here are ready to give our lives,” the 48-year-old farmer told the Associated Press news agency. “They can shoot. This is the only way they can open the mine.” At stake is a lush agricultural valley in western Serbia, with Europe's richest reserves of lithium, a precious metal used to make batteries for electric cars and essential to the transition to green energy. Whether or not there should be a mine in the valley has become one of the most controversial issues in the Balkan nation, prompting protests by thousands in a challenge to populist President Aleksandar Vucic. While the government insists the mine is an opportunity for economic development, critics say it would cause irreparable pollution in the Jadar valley, along with groundwater reserves, agricultural land and two small rivers that run through the valley. Thousands of people are expected to attend a rally announced for Saturday in Belgrade, demanding a law to ban lithium mining anywhere in Serbia. Zlatko Kokanovic will be there with the group “Ne Damo Jadar”, or “We don't give Jadar”. …

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Residents of Serbia's lithium-rich region vow to block EU-backed drilling

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