Ministry: Marble and gypsum are what is being explored in Sumadija, not lithium

The Ministry of Mining and Energy announced that a total of only six exploration fields are active on the territory of Arandjelovac, Topola, Raca, Knic and Kragujevac, where marble, gypsum, technical building stone are explored, and not critical mineral raw materials, such as lithium.

A protest against lithium mining has been scheduled for tonight in Arandjelovac, and on that occasion the relevant ministry announced that falsehoods are being spread in the public and official data are being misinterpreted.

- The number of exploratory fields in these municipalities (Arandjelovac, Topola, Raca, Knic and Kragujevac, according to N1) is even ten times less than the number wrongly stated by certain so-called activists who have scheduled protests against lithium mining in these areas - the Ministry says .

In the territory of Arandjelovac and Topola, the Ministry explains, mineral raw materials such as marble and marbleized limestone are being explored, which are used primarily as technical or architectural building stone, then ceramic clay, granite monconite, gypsum and anhydride, while in the territories of Raca and Kragujevac there are no active research fields.

- From all of the above, it is clear that in these municipalities there is no room for controversy about the possible research and exploitation of lithium and that this is primarily a political campaign. What is very dangerous is that, at the same time, damage is caused to mining and the mining profession and the industrial branches based on them - the Ministry said.

They add that mining is the basic branch that provides the raw materials on which the construction industry, the metal industry, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry are based, whereas thanks to geological research, water sources are found, among other things, without which there is no life on earth.

- Without sand and gravel there is no construction, and without that there are no houses, apartments, roads, hospitals, schools... Minerals are also used to make much-needed medicines - the Ministry states.

The announcement adds that the statement of untruths and the misinterpretation of data by those who, as stated, "allegedly oppose a project, and above all lead a political struggle", goes in the direction of compromising the mining and geological profession in Serbia, harming the Serbian economy, and in no way contribute to the reasoned debate about the Jadar project in which, according to the Ministry, experts are primarily invited to participate, and not "so-called activists or opposition politicians".