Serbia's Parliament speaker seeks debate over Rio Tinto's lithium project

Serbia's parliament speaker and former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic is seeking a debate and approval in the assembly for a contested Rio Tinto lithium project in the Balkan country. Regarded as a critical material by the EU and the United States, lithium is used in batteries for EVs and mobile devices. In 2022, the Serbian government revoked licences for Rio's $2.4-billion Jadar lithium project near the western town of Loznica after massive environmental protests.