EU, Serbia ink lithium deal amid clean tech race

The European Union (EU) is looking for lithium to power its transition away from fossil fuels and help it compete in the global race for clean technology. Over the past three yearsm the bloc has been on a self-styled "raw material diplomacy" mission, inking resource deals with 13 countries including Canada, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Argentina and Namibia. Now, the EU has a new name to add to the list: Serbia.

The Balkan country is more often at odds with the EU than on the same page. It’s kept close ties with Russia and China, and resisted Brussels’ longstanding expectation that aspirant EU members like Serbia replicate EU sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

But on Friday when Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stood side-by-side with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic to announce a new "strategic partnership" covering raw materials, battery supply chains and electric vehicles, those foreign policy differences were swiftly swept aside.

"We are meeting here on a historic day, a historic opportunity for Serbia, for the European Union, and clear proof that we are already living in the era of clean tech," Sefcovic told reporters in the Serbian capital. "This will open the door to the largest foreign direct investment in Serbia's history," he said.

That promise of an economic boost may fall short for many Serbians though, amid fierce debate within the country over who has the right to dig for lithium where, and at what cost.

News.Az