BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Friday that Russian intelligence warned him about preparations for a coup in Serbia with the support of Western powers.

The Serbian portal Novosti newspaper reported earlier that Russian security services warned Vucic in writing that mass riots are being prepared in Serbia with the ultimate goal of a coup and the overthrow of the nation’s legitimately elected leadership.

“We received official information from the Russian Federation, information transmitted and brought through official channels. We are dealing with it. The Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) is responsible and the people specialized in that are doing their job,'' Vucic told reporters.

The revelations come as thousands of environmentalists have demonstrated against a lithium extraction project in Serbia.

Environmentalists have rallied against the project by Anglo-Australian multinational mining company, Rio Tinto.

“Those who dream that they will do something, they won't. Serbia is moving forward and they cannot and will not stop it. That's my message to everyone and people don't need to worry and be anxious,” said Vucic.

There are pro-Western protests planned for Saturday in Belgrade against the Jadar lithium extraction project/

Vucic said June 24 that he wanted Serbians to decide on the extraction of lithium mines and it was not a decision to be made immediately.

Serbians have been holding demonstrations at regular intervals for years to protest the project.

Rio Tinto discovered lithium mineral reserves in Loznica in 2004.
The chief public prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Nenad Stefanovic, warned that violence in the capital would not be tolerated and urged participants in the protest to use their right to peaceful assembly under the Constitution and laws.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dacic also said violence would not be allowed, as well as attacks on state institutions and police.