Rio Tinto denies covert research in central Serbia

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The Rio Tinto company on Friday denied claims that it was conducting secret geological probes in the area around the Serbian city of Kraljevo.

The Serbian opposition Movement for Change (Pokret za Preokret) said on Thursday that Rio Tinto was secretly researching the area around two villages in the Kraljevo are, allegedly testing for lithium. Protests have been organized over the claims.

Rio Tinto said that it was working on only one feasibility study in Serbia for the Jadar project in the area around the town of Loznica on the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina. A press release said that the company is obliged to provide its shareholders and stock exchanges with information on all of its projects regardless of where they are located.

According to the Rio Tinto web site, the company’s sole project in Serbia is the exploitation of lithium deposits in the west of the country.