International Scientific Conference Squaring the Circle : the New Global Dynamics (2026) [pp. 75-79]
AUTHOR(S) / AUTOR(I): Ivona Lađevac 
Download Full Pdf 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/7067.3731.075L
ABSTRACT / SAŽETAK:
The accelerating energy transition and intensifying technological competition have transformed critical raw materials into one of the central pillars of power in contemporary international relations. Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are no longer merely economic resources; they have become strategic assets essential for the functioning of renewable energy systems, digital infrastructures, and advanced industrial production. As a result, access to and control over these materials increasingly shape patterns of cooperation, competition, and structural dependency within the emerging multipolar order (Overland, 2019).
KEYWORDS / KLJUČNE REČI:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / PROJEKAT:
The paper presents findings of a study developed as a part of the project “Serbia and challenges in international relations in 2026”, financed by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, and conducted by Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, during the year 2026.