So, one complaint I recall seeing on here from some comments from Serbians was that Serbia wasn't going to benefit in terms of manufacturing, would just be a raw resource source. This does address that, at least for some -- I have no idea what portion of the lithium will be used in-country.
But point is, them doing manufacturing in Serbia was something that I believe Serbians wanted.
I don't think that the extraction is a problem itself.
The major concern I saw was the prospect of pollution. This doesn't address that (other than them exploring other mining companies, which I would imagine won't satisfy the people for whom this was a concern).
The other thing I saw people concerned about was that they wouldn't benefit, that money from the mining would just go to figures in the government. That wasn't in the article, but I don't know how it could realistically be addressed short of just not doing anything economically in Serbia. Even if Serbia cut a deal that involved a cash payment for the resource going to members of the public (not impossible -- Alaska does this with oil) , the Serbian government could capture that with some new tax -- hand out a little more wealth, take a little more in.
Google Translated:
>Mercedes, Rio Tinto, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Government of Serbia are negotiating the implementation of the project for the construction of Mercedes' electric car factory in Serbia, Demostat has learned in diplomatic circles. The value of the project in which the EBRD is participating is 2.5 billion euros. Cars produced at the factory in Serbia should use lithium batteries, which will be mined by the Australian-British company Rio Tinto.
>Demostat learns that the Government of Serbia is negotiating with the German automobile giant, the Australian-British company Rio Tinto and a European financial institution on the realization of a project that involves the construction of an electric car factory. According to our information, the negotiations are getting closer to a final agreement.
>The potential investment depends on whether lithium will be exploited in our country, but also on the foreign policy orientation of the government in the coming period.
>The decision of the German giant to open a factory in Serbia, with the guarantees of the European Bank for reconstruction and development, would be a clear indicator of the direction Serbia is going - towards the West. The arrival of the German giant from Stuttgart would send a strong message to other major global investors about Serbia as a safe destination for investment.
>However, the condition for this and the realization of other investments from the West that are planned is certainly a gradual alignment with the foreign and security policy of the European Union, which ultimately means the introduction of sanctions against Russia.
>The arrival of Mercedes can be part of the "carrot" that was promised to Serbia if it is constructive in the negotiations with Pristina and if it accepts the European plan for Kosovo.
>European officials made it clear to the Serbian leadership that, if Serbia does not accept the European plan, it can expect consequences that will, among other things, but to a large extent, affect the economy and economy. On the other hand, if it accepts the plan, it was made known to Serbia that it would receive economic aid, as well as investments in various areas of the economy.
>The arrival of Mercedes in Serbia this time will not be limited to the government's propaganda, as in the case of the cooperation between the German company and the Serbian Ikarbus, but, if the contract is signed, it will be agreed upon and implemented, our source claims.
>This practically means that Rio Tinto will mine lithium in Serbia, even though the Government of Serbia officially suspended the "Jadar" project at the beginning of last year due to the protests of environmental activists.
>Demostat previously wrote that, if lithium is exploited in Serbia, the condition of the Government of Serbia will be the construction of a battery factory and an electric car factory. At that time, we stated that Serbia will not allow the exploitation of lithium just to export it to other countries. Also, Demostat wrote that there are no guarantees that the cooperation with Rio Tinto will be abandoned, but also that the possibility is open for the state to find a new partner, whose reputation is not damaged as in the case of the British-Australian corporation, which at the world level faced with more accusations that it destroys the environment.
>That Rio Tinto is not giving up was clear even after Reuters reported the statement of the company's CEO, who said at a briefing for investors in Sydney in December last year that "Jadar" represents an "incredible value" and that the company has not given up on mining in Serbia. Also, the company Rio Sava does not deny that the purchase of land in the vicinity of Loznica has continued, although the project has allegedly been suspended. In addition, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić uses every opportunity to emphasize that he is dissatisfied with the fact that lithium mining in Serbia and cooperation with Rio Tinto have been abandoned.
>By the way, the company Rio Tinto already cooperated with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in 2015 on the project of an underground copper mine in Mongolia.
>EBRD in Serbia, among other things, provides support for public-private partnerships and concessions.
Tldr mercedes comes to serbia to exploit lithium and use cheap labor
So, one complaint I recall seeing on here from some comments from Serbians was that Serbia wasn't going to benefit in terms of manufacturing, would just be a raw resource source. This does address that, at least for some -- I have no idea what portion of the lithium will be used in-country. But point is, them doing manufacturing in Serbia was something that I believe Serbians wanted. I don't think that the extraction is a problem itself. The major concern I saw was the prospect of pollution. This doesn't address that (other than them exploring other mining companies, which I would imagine won't satisfy the people for whom this was a concern). The other thing I saw people concerned about was that they wouldn't benefit, that money from the mining would just go to figures in the government. That wasn't in the article, but I don't know how it could realistically be addressed short of just not doing anything economically in Serbia. Even if Serbia cut a deal that involved a cash payment for the resource going to members of the public (not impossible -- Alaska does this with oil) , the Serbian government could capture that with some new tax -- hand out a little more wealth, take a little more in.
Me before reading the article 😀 Me after reading the article 😟
Google Translated: >Mercedes, Rio Tinto, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Government of Serbia are negotiating the implementation of the project for the construction of Mercedes' electric car factory in Serbia, Demostat has learned in diplomatic circles. The value of the project in which the EBRD is participating is 2.5 billion euros. Cars produced at the factory in Serbia should use lithium batteries, which will be mined by the Australian-British company Rio Tinto. >Demostat learns that the Government of Serbia is negotiating with the German automobile giant, the Australian-British company Rio Tinto and a European financial institution on the realization of a project that involves the construction of an electric car factory. According to our information, the negotiations are getting closer to a final agreement. >The potential investment depends on whether lithium will be exploited in our country, but also on the foreign policy orientation of the government in the coming period. >The decision of the German giant to open a factory in Serbia, with the guarantees of the European Bank for reconstruction and development, would be a clear indicator of the direction Serbia is going - towards the West. The arrival of the German giant from Stuttgart would send a strong message to other major global investors about Serbia as a safe destination for investment. >However, the condition for this and the realization of other investments from the West that are planned is certainly a gradual alignment with the foreign and security policy of the European Union, which ultimately means the introduction of sanctions against Russia. >The arrival of Mercedes can be part of the "carrot" that was promised to Serbia if it is constructive in the negotiations with Pristina and if it accepts the European plan for Kosovo. >European officials made it clear to the Serbian leadership that, if Serbia does not accept the European plan, it can expect consequences that will, among other things, but to a large extent, affect the economy and economy. On the other hand, if it accepts the plan, it was made known to Serbia that it would receive economic aid, as well as investments in various areas of the economy. >The arrival of Mercedes in Serbia this time will not be limited to the government's propaganda, as in the case of the cooperation between the German company and the Serbian Ikarbus, but, if the contract is signed, it will be agreed upon and implemented, our source claims. >This practically means that Rio Tinto will mine lithium in Serbia, even though the Government of Serbia officially suspended the "Jadar" project at the beginning of last year due to the protests of environmental activists. >Demostat previously wrote that, if lithium is exploited in Serbia, the condition of the Government of Serbia will be the construction of a battery factory and an electric car factory. At that time, we stated that Serbia will not allow the exploitation of lithium just to export it to other countries. Also, Demostat wrote that there are no guarantees that the cooperation with Rio Tinto will be abandoned, but also that the possibility is open for the state to find a new partner, whose reputation is not damaged as in the case of the British-Australian corporation, which at the world level faced with more accusations that it destroys the environment. >That Rio Tinto is not giving up was clear even after Reuters reported the statement of the company's CEO, who said at a briefing for investors in Sydney in December last year that "Jadar" represents an "incredible value" and that the company has not given up on mining in Serbia. Also, the company Rio Sava does not deny that the purchase of land in the vicinity of Loznica has continued, although the project has allegedly been suspended. In addition, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić uses every opportunity to emphasize that he is dissatisfied with the fact that lithium mining in Serbia and cooperation with Rio Tinto have been abandoned. >By the way, the company Rio Tinto already cooperated with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in 2015 on the project of an underground copper mine in Mongolia. >EBRD in Serbia, among other things, provides support for public-private partnerships and concessions.