Reaction of the Rio Tinto

Protests in Serbia, April 9 and 10 – Ecological Uprising

We are aware of the current events in Belgrade, and we fully understand the citizens’ concern for the environment, since we, the employees and our families and children breathe the same air and live on the same ground as our fellow citizens who are protesting today.

We would like to point out that part of this concern stems from the lack of sufficient information about the project, which is understandable since the project is in the process of creating a Feasibility Study, and that the Environmental Impact Assessment Studies will provide detailed answers to questions that citizens ask in this development phase. The Studies will, of course, be part of the public discussion.

On the other hand, we want to point out that there is a lot of untruth about our project in public. One of the claims is that the rivers Jadar, Drina and the even Sava will be polluted, which is an absolute untruth. The company will invest between 30 and 40 million euros in the wastewater treatment plant alone, while the total investment we plan to focus on environmental protection is over 100 million dollars, but we can expect that after the completion of conceptual and main projects the investment could be higher.

Given a large amount of misinformation that exists about the project, we invite citizens and the professional public to inform themselves about our project through the company’s official communication channels and through the public appearances of our experts, as well as to attend meetings we regularly organize, such as “Open Doors”. Brezjak and Loznica, and meetings of the working group that will be held once a month. At these meetings, our experts answer citizens’ questions.

We want to reiterate the firm position of the state authorities of the Republic of Serbia, with which Rio Tinto fully agrees, that the Jadar Project is expected to meet the highest standards in the field of environment and to respect the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union.

Despite the significant support that the “Jadar” project has, we understand and respect the fact that the local community will raise issues related to the project of this size and importance. The basic precondition for the development of the project is partner relation with local communities. For this reason, we are committed to working closely with local communities to answer all their questions as part of the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study.

Let us also mention that Rio Tinto recognizes the importance of companies, governments and societies working together on climate change. We all need to recognize and accept our role in tackling climate change and the global green transition.

We believe that lithium has a crucial role to play for a low-carbon future. Also, lithium is an important resource for a number of new technologies that will enable Serbia, Europe and the world to transition to a greener and digital future.

Finally, we would like to point out that our Info Centers are located in Loznica, at Gimnazijska Street 4 (telephones: 015 872 992, 015 872 834), and at Brezjak at 9 Stevana Sinđelića Street (telephone: 015 610 223). Due to the current epidemiological situation, visits to the Info Center need to be announced in advance, so that we can respect the recommended measures.

As a leading global company in the field of mining and ore processing, Rio Tinto is committed to open, reasonable and peaceful conversation with the local community so that in a safe and honest atmosphere we first understand and then answer their questions and concerns.

For all questions regarding the “Jadar” project, you can contact us, at any time, via email at jadar.press@riotinto.com

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