Serbia's constitutional court on Thursday ruled against a 2022 government decision to halt Rio Tinto's multibillion-dollar project to exploit some of Europe's largest lithium deposits, a mineral key for electric vehicle batteries.
The court found the revocation of the permits awarded to Rio Tinto was "not in line with the constitution and the law", but added that it is the government that "decides on further realisation of the particular project".
Vucic said on Friday the government would respect the decision of the court before declaring: "I have no intention of agreeing with the project if it endangers people and environment."
Despite the government halting the project in 2022, opponents of the mine believe Vucic would like to see it go forward.
The president, in an interview with the Financial Times in June, suggested that the lithium mine could start as soon as 2028, based on new assurances from Rio Tinto.
The statement stirred public concern and sparked a new wave of protests.
Vucic said Friday he would listen to experts before deciding what is best for the country.
"From an economic point of view, there isn't any doubt, but before economic considerations environmental ones must be considered," he said.
Rio Tinto welcomed the court's decision, with project director Chad Blewitt saying it could become a "world-class" asset that can be developed safely according to both Serbian and EU standards.
According to Rio Tinto, the mine in Jadar could produce 58,000 tonnes of lithium annually, enough for 1.1 million electric vehicles.
Following a series of massive protests in 2022, the government invalidated the permits for the project, which activists said endangered the environment of the Jadar valley, an agricultural region in western Serbia.
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