War for lithium: Government promises "strict defense of public interest and legality"
Speaking to RTP, the Secretary of State for Energy assured that the matter that opposes New Lithium and Lusorecursos for the concession of Montalegre will be resolved at a technical rather than a political level.
The Government guarantees that the settlement of the dispute between Portugal's Lusorecursos and Australia's Novo Litio, regarding the ownership of the lithium prospecting licenses in Sepeda, Montalegre, will be resolved according to the law and through a "technical decision."
"The State, the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology, the Government will have a performance here as is evident in the strict defense of public interest and legality. Nor does it seem to us that this is an issue that must be politically settled, "stated this Friday, November 17, the Secretary of State for Energy, Jorge Seguro Sanches.
This Friday the Public advances that Lusorecursos, headquartered in Braga, has already advanced to the application for issuance of a definitive operating license - a formality that would have to occur until December 7, when the term of the current license expires of research and research attributed to Lusorecursos.
However, Novo Lio has filed a precautionary measure to bring Lusorecursos to transfer to its property, as it claims to have been agreed, the ownership of the prospecting license and requests for other licenses held by the Bracaran company.
The Australians contend that Lusorecursos will not have made any efforts with the Government to enforce an exploration license and to file applications for six other licenses, nor to have transferred ownership to Australians as allegedly agreed.
"The State assigned a concession to a company - it was still the previous government that it attributed. These companies collaborated, for all I know, and for the last time have entered into disagreement. in view of what the requirements of the law are and because of that there is a technical decision on the matter, "defended Seguro Sanches.
This is the second time since the beginning of the controversy that the Secretary of State for Energy has taken a position on the matter, after having clarified last September that its only interlocutor is Lusorecursos, "with which the Portuguese State has a contract duly valid".
Asked by the Business about the current state of the precautionary measure and the progress of Lusorecursos for the license application, New Lithium source said: "The NLI [New Lithium] was advised by its lawyers not to make public statements about this matter, pending the outcome of a judicial proceeding. "
The link between the Portuguese and Australians comes from last year when, on June 1, Dakota Minerals - which would lead to New Lithium - announced a binding agreement to purchase 100% of lithium prospecting rights in three areas - Serra de Arga, Barroso-Alvão and Almendra-Barca d'Alva.
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