Iran not joining in developing Bolivia’s lithium mining industry and the production of lithium batteries?
Lithium batteries are the batteries of the 21st century. They are rechargeable and power cellphones and laptops and many other modern electronics.
Bolivia has huge reserves of lithium, the world’s lightest metal. Under President Ivo Morales, the country envisages itself being powered to prosperity on the back of those reserves.
But Morales insists that Bolivia must not just become another commodity exporter—digging up lithium and sending it out of the country in raw form. He demands that manufacturing plants for lithium batteries be set up in Bolivia with lithium being mined, processed and finally manufactured into the end product all in Bolivia.
But Bolivia has been unable to find a partner that will cut a deal with it, to Bolivia’s satisfaction, despite years of hunting.
When Morales was in Tehran last month, he announced that Bolivia had finally found the partner it needed—the Islamic Republic of Iran.
But only days later in La Paz, Bolivian Mining Minister Jose Pimentel said there was no agreement for Iran to join Bolivia in industrializing lithium and making batteries.
Pimental said Bolivia had only a letter of intent signed with Iran for Iran to help study lithium issues as part of an International Scientific Council that Bolivia has invited all countries interested in lithium to join. Pimental said the report of Iran joining in making lithium batteries in Bolivia was an error made by the Bolivian state news agency.
But on Sunday, Iranian Mines and Industries Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian said Iran would indeed join Bolivia in industrializing its lithium mines and producing lithium batteries.
According to Iran’s state news agency, Mehrabian said Iran “will render technical and engineering assistance for the project and will also cooperate with Bolivia in producing other products from lithium.”
He said nothing about how much money, if any, Iran would invest in the project. He also did not explain what technology Iran could bring to the lithium industry.
In La Paz, Bolivian officials also said that Iran had agreed to open up its markets for Bolivian agricultural products such as soybeans, rice and sugar. But that is directly contrary to Iran’s proclaimed autarkic policy of producing all the food it consumes.
The Bolivian officials were also quoted as saying that Iran’s cash investment in Bolivia had already passed $1.1 billion before Morales visited Iran last month.
In Iran, a number of legislators have asked for the details of the aid provided to Latin America, pointing out that the Constitution requires the Majlis to approve all foreign aid and it has not approved anything on that scale.