Several opposition parties gathered outside Serbia’s Presidency building on Wednesday, saying Rio Tinto would not be allowed to open a lithium mine in Serbia and that President Aleksandar Vucic did not have the right to make deals with the company.

A deputy leader of the People’s Party Miroslav Aleksic told the gathering that Serbia’s regime was transforming the country into a “neo-colony” and warned about “a great danger” clouding the country, adding “there is no repair after the destruction of the rivers and forests.”

After meeting Rio Tinto representatives, Vucic on Tuesday said that “all the projects in that area must meet the highest ecological and technological standards because there is no economic development without preserving a healthy environment.”

The opposition politicians also warned that Rio Tinto did not open a mine anywhere in Europe because the authorities did not allow it.

“The ‘excavation’ of Serbia in search of lithium carries a great danger to the environment, health and leads to the displacement of the population,” they said.