On December 17, the company Rio Tinto, like most companies operating in Serbia, successfully organized a New Year's media gathering to thank the media representatives for their cooperation during 2024. The cocktail was organized for representatives of all media in Serbia.

The Rio Tinto company notes with regret that certain opponents of the Jadar Project, with threats, intimidation and violent actions, tried to prevent holding of the year end gathering with the media. With unfounded accusations, these project opponents challenged the right of the Rio Tinto company to operate in Serbia under conditions that apply to all other companies. This group of project opponents has based its activities on spreading disinformation about the project and continues a campaign of intimidation and threats of violence against the company's employees and partners. Despite our best efforts, these certain project opponents continuously reject our offer to meet with them to discuss scientifically based facts.

This type of aggressive behavior is a threat not only to Rio Tinto, but also sends a very negative signal to all foreign investors who do business in Serbia or are considering Serbia as an investment destination.

Rio Tinto respects the right of Serbian citizens to peacefully protest in accordance with Serbian regulations and condemns any form of violence, intimidation and discrimination.

There is an extensive disinformation campaign against the Jadar Project, in which false news and unfounded claims are maliciously spread that Rio Tinto and the implementation of the Jadar Project will have destructive, negative impacts on the environment and people's health. Such irresponsible and continuous accusations made without any evidence has caused concern and deliberately misled the Serbian public. The scientific facts, verified by independent experts and laid out in draft environmental impact assessment studies, comprehensively refute these false claims. We view cooperation with the media as key to truthfully informing the public, and we cooperate openly and transparently with all media in Serbia.

Rio Tinto remains committed to the development of the Jadar Project, one of the most promising and best-researched lithium projects in Europe, thanks to which Serbia can achieve strong economic growth while preserving the environment and become a strategic hub for the green energy transition.

Before the construction of the Project can possibly begin, the Project still has a number of steps ahead of it, which include continuing the development of the project in the legal sense, updating environmental impact assessment studies, public consultation and obtaining the necessary permits and approvals.

In the upcoming period, the company will continue to work on the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the Jadar Project, which will give the company the opportunity to submit and present solutions to the competent institutions in a transparent and inclusive procedure. This process involves extensive public consultation and discussion which will ensure that the project can be implemented safely and in accordance with the highest environmental protection standards of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union.

The company also hereby invites all interested parties to an inclusive public dialogue with responsibility for publicly expressed views.