Marijanti Babić, Country Head of Rio Tinto in Serbia, participated in a panel discussion on February 19 at the IRTC25 (International Round Table on Materials Criticality) conference in Ljubljana. The event brought together industry representatives and experts from around the world to discuss innovations and strategies in the field of critical raw materials.

The panel followed a screening of the documentary "Not in My Country: Serbia's Lithium Dilemma" by Dr. Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals (SIM²), an interdisciplinary team of more than 400 researchers. Moderated by Vitor Correia, Secretary General of the International Raw Materials Observatory, the discussion included representatives from the NGO RERI (Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment), the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the film’s author himself.

“The panel was a great example of how important and complex topics can be discussed constructively, even when differing opinions exist. I believe that in Serbia, too, we will have the opportunity to engage in fact-based discussions about lithium mining, so that—regardless of differing perspectives—we can reach a deeper mutual understanding and gain a clearer view of the Jadar project’s development potential on a sustainable basis, in line with the highest environmental protection standards. Rio Tinto remains committed to transparent communication and open dialogue with all stakeholders,” emphasized Marijanti Babić, Rio Tinto's Country Head in Serbia.

Following its avant-premiere in Brussels in early February, this was the second opportunity for experts to view the documentary on the Jadar project, an independent research effort by the University of Leuven.

Rio Tinto believes in the potential of the Jadar project to play a key role in Europe’s green transition, leveraging innovative technologies and the highest environmental standards. The project is a world-class lithium deposit that could provide a strategic raw material for battery production and the development of renewable energy sources, accelerating Serbia’s economic and technological progress and advancing the entire e-mobility value chain.