The lack of expert discussions and the predominance of political and other interests over the interests of the citizens of Serbia culminated yesterday in unpleasant scenes at the Metropol Hotel, where the panel on mineral resources was interrupted and the opposing parties quarreled. Yesterday morning, representatives of the Association of Ecological Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) organized a press conference in front of the Metropol Hotel in Belgrade, where a panel on the mineral and mineral resources of Serbia was held.

After that, they broke into the hotel and interrupted this panel in which, among others, the ambassadors of several countries in Serbia, as well as various foreign companies, including Rio Tinto, participated.

This event came as a culmination of many years of arguments about Serbia’s mineral wealth and mining, of which the project “Jadar” of this Australian-British company attracted the most public attention.

“They invited foreign investors to sell us out and they brought ambassadors from Australia, Canada, Sweden and Finland, and the list of guests includes representatives of the Rio Tinto company. “They all discuss mineral resources without the people of Serbia asking whether they are in favor of selling natural resources and our property,” he says.

As he explains, they “asked the organizers about this omission” the day before the rally.

“We called the number that was posted on the website related to this panel, to ask if someone from the local community could attend.” They said that representatives of the local community were invited, and when we asked which of them was invited, they hung up on us. Their behavior only irritated this morning’s events,” says Kokanović.  

Source: Serbia Business