Blinken aide calls Serbia lithium mining plans important project for US

The Serbian government's plans to extract the lithium-containing mineral jadarite, which have sparked mass protests, are an important project for Washington, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt told the Voice of America radio station, Report informs.

First of all, this is an opportunity to deepen ties between the EU and Serbia, which has been a goal of American policy for many years, Pyatt said.

The assistant secretary of state noted that the creation of the mine will give Belgrade the opportunity to take a leading position in the industry and will allow Serbia to play a globally significant role in the process of the US and EU moving away from dependence on lithium supplies from China.

He also stressed that the decision on the fate of the project amid the protests should be made by the people of Serbia.