Serbia is rich in gold, lithium, boron, copper, molybdenum and other ores, and their better use will allow new Law on mining and geological researches, which the Assembly will probably adopt in early 2014.
The official start of the public hearing on that law is expected in the first days of December and the government could adopt him by the end of the year, said State Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning, Tomislav Subaranovic.
He said that it had been already held several public hearings on the draft law, which would significantly simplify procedures and allow investors a better position, but also greater protection of the state interests, as the owner of natural resources.
Subaranovic pointed out that the old law was not applicable in many areas.
The new law, as he said, will allow the export of strategic minerals and strategic partnership will be achievable with the state in this area, and the deadlines for  geological research will be more favorable.
Deputy Minister of mining, Zoran Danilovic, said that Serbia was very rich in mineral resources, and that especially significant lithium deposits in jadarite ore were near Loznica and gold on Crni Vrh, near Zagubica.
He said that for the gold, the best results during excavations were at the site “Potaj Cuka-Tisnica” near Zagubica.
According to him, Serbia also has significant reserves of lead, zinc, silver, oil shale, oil and gas.
In Serbia were opened 126 research fields, and dominant are American companies, said Danilovic, adding that there is a growing interest in groundwater and that 153 hydrogeological investigations have been already approved.
Assistant Director for Commercial Affairs in the Mining Basin “Kolubara”, Igor Smiljkovic, said that “Kolubara” provided 30 million tons of coal annually and that it was needed to increase production to 35 tons.
Smiljkovic said that there existed near two billion tons of coal reserves which would be exploited by 2050. or 2060.
The most important investment of “Kolubara”, as he said, was opening of open pit mine “Radljevo” on about 6.000 hectares, whose exploitation is planned from 2014. by 2040.
For the beginning it is planned provision of about five million tons per year in Radljevo, later of 13 million tons, he said, adding that for the “Radljevo” activation was necessary to completely relocate two villages with some 1.000 households and four settlements in part.
Smiljkovic added that Radljevo would provide a total of about 355 million tons of coal.
Source; Serbia Energy
