Serbia decided to close the draft Australian-British Rio Tinto concern for Lithium extraction in the West of the country. Part of the Serbian press believes that this is done in retaliation for the expulsion of tennis player Novak Djokovich from Australia, although the government says that the case in environmental requirements for the project, and Serbian Eco -activists felt violently against him at the end of last year, WRF writes.
“Framework [Rio Tinto project] canceled. Accordingly, all administrative acts and permissions relating to the Rio Tinto company, more precisely, its subsidiary of Rio Sava Exploration is canceled. We put a point in the Rio Tinto case in Serbia,” said Prime Minister Ana Branbich after a government meeting on Thursday.
The Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS), actively speaking against the mine, considers this decision by his merit, and Ana Branbich is also talking about doubts about the ecological project.
However, many in Serbia tied up this decision of the government – or what it was made right now – with a recent scandal between Serbia and Australia due to the expulsion of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovich. Australia’s authorities have deported him from the country on the basis of incorrectly completed entry documents and the absence of vaccination.
Many Serbian editions came out with the headlines of the type “Serbia – Australia 1: 1”.