Director of Serbian Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate (SRBATOM) and the National Liaison Officer with the IAEA, Sladjan Velinov, together with the Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Head of Department of Technical Cooperation, Hua Liu, attended the meeting with the Minister of Energy and Mining Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic at the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

The meeting was also attended by the representatives of five ministries that signed the Memorandum of understanding in the field of application of nuclear energy development in Serbia. The prime purpose of the meeting was to discuss the support and cooperation in the development of the national infrastructure regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy in our country.

Hua Liu said that Serbia is taking serious and dedicated approach to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He also stressed the need for further strengthening of the Serbian regulatory body and that, in cooperation with SRBATOM, the competent ministry is expected to draft national projects for 2026/27 and 2028/29 cycles, which would focus on the considerations of the IAEA’s assistance to the Republic of Serbia in terms of nuclear energy development.

“We are very pleased that we are here, especially since Serbia already has nuclear tradition and clear intentions regarding the use of nuclear energy in the future, which have been unequivocally communicated in the international community. We are willing and ready to support you on this path, and through this cooperation you can use our expertise, resources and knowledge in the field of medicine, agriculture, food industry, environmental protection and energy”, said Hua Liu.

The Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said that the options for continuing our cooperation with the IAEA have been considered, first in terms of establishing the knowledge base, and then in terms of strengthening our capacities and development of qualified human resources in the field of nuclear energy in Serbia.

She explained that this would be realized based on the MoU in the field of application of nuclear energy development, which was signed in July by more than 20 institutions, including the relevant ministries, faculties, scientific institutes, as well as energy companies. The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan until 2030 with projections until 2050, which as one of the possible scenarios involves the introduction of nuclear energy into the national energy mix as the main energy source after 2040. 2011.