Đedović Handanović and Rosatom Director Discuss Knowledge Exchange

The Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, met today with a delegation from the Russian state corporation “Rosatom,” led by Director General Alexey Likhachev. The meeting, also attended by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, focused on potential cooperation during the preparatory phase of the Serbian nuclear program 

The Minister emphasized that following the lifting of the nuclear moratorium, Serbia is building the foundations for nuclear energy development and aims to learn from the world’s leading experts. It was noted that Rosatom holds a serious, 80-year tradition and is currently constructing approximately 30 nuclear power plant units across nine countries, including neighboring Hungary (Paks II), Turkey (Akkuyu), and Egypt (El Dabaa). Alexey Likhachev offered support in strengthening human resource capacities, analyzing the regulatory framework, and public education.

Although Serbia is currently collaborating with the French company EDF during this preparatory phase, the Minister stressed that the country remains open to cooperation with all technology providers.

The current roadmap plans for the completion of the first two phases of the program (preparation and institutional setup) by 2032. However, a final technology partner will only be selected once Serbia becomes “institutionally and regulatorily capable,” with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) remaining a viable option.

Editorial Note: We remind our readers that, for now, the public is being informed about the details of this project exclusively through the Ministry’s press service. Key foundational documents remain unavailable to the public.