Nuclear facility: Russia and Serbia have begun negotiations on the construction of a nuclear power plant

The Serbian authorities and Rosatom have begun a substantive dialogue on the nuclear power plant construction project, Serbian Ambassador to Moscow Momcilo Babic told Izvestia. According to him, progress on this issue can be achieved in the coming years. Earlier, the Serbian parliament lifted the moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants, because by 2050, energy consumption in the country will increase fourfold. Belgrade is currently choosing a partner for this project, with South Korea, China and France among the options besides Russia. According to analysts, the Russian proposal is the most profitable, since it includes all segments of nuclear energy. The terms and conditions of construction of Serbia's first nuclear power plant are described in the Izvestia article.

Belgrade and Moscow are discussing the construction of a nuclear power plant

Serbia and Rosatom have begun negotiations on the construction of a nuclear power plant in the republic, Serbian Ambassador to Moscow Momcilo Babic told Izvestia. According to him, this issue can be resolved in the coming years.

— We are seriously talking with Rosatom. I think there is no better company in the world to build a nuclear power plant. I am sure that there will be progress in the coming years, because we need electricity. We will do it anyway," Momcilo Babic told Izvestia.

Izvestia sent a request to the press service of the Rosatom State Corporation.

In November 2024, the Serbian parliament lifted the ban on the construction of nuclear power plants, which had been in effect since 1989. It was introduced after the Chernobyl accident. Now the position has changed due to the fact that electricity consumption in the country is expected to increase fourfold by 2050. This is also a consequence of the active growth of the Serbian economy: in 2023, the country's GDP increased by 3.8%, in 2024 — 3.9%.

Serbia also needs nuclear energy against the background of attempts to cut it off from Russian oil and gas. The EU plans to completely abandon energy supplies from Russia by 2028. An embargo on the shipping of Russian oil has been in effect since December 2022. Currently, coal, oil and gas account for more than 85% of the Balkan republic's energy supply. Therefore, nuclear generation is an affordable way to ensure the country's energy security.

In July, Belgrade began developing a national program for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic said.

Serbia intends to build a nuclear power plant and is actively looking for a contractor for this project. Among the options: Russia, South Korea, France and China. In September 2025, the Serbian government signed two memorandums of understanding with the South Korean company KHNP on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. This company has already won a tender for the reconstruction of the Chernavode NPP power unit in Romania.

Last year, the Serbian Ministry of Energy also hired the French company EDF to conduct a study on the potential use of nuclear generation. Although France has extensive experience in the nuclear field, Paris has not built new nuclear power plants for a long time, said Serbian Energy Minister Djedovic-Handanovic.

Atomic wave: Russia and Malaysia have started working on the supply of floating nuclear power plants

Who is trying to catch up with Russia in this field of energy

Russia does not stand aside either. Alexander Vucic's visit to Moscow to celebrate May 9 led to the beginning of cooperation between the two countries in the nuclear field. Rosatom is ready to offer Serbia projects for both small nuclear power plants and high-capacity power units, Maria Deuric, director of the state corporation's representative office in Serbia, said in May.

Energy is considered to be one of the pillars of Russian-Serbian cooperation today — Serbia receives Russian gas at a discounted rate. Therefore, cooperation in the nuclear energy sector is beneficial for Serbia, INF Program manager Milan Lazovic told Izvestia.

"If we add issues related to nuclear power plants to mutual cooperation, this will allow Belgrade to strengthen the national energy system, as well as diversify the energy balance by starting using nuclear generation," the expert stressed.

When can Russia build a nuclear power plant in Serbia

Negotiations between Russia and Serbia on the construction of a nuclear power plant may take a year or two, then the parties will begin construction. It is possible that Russia will also provide Belgrade with a preferential loan, following its standard practice, Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University and the National Energy Security Fund, said in an interview with Izvestia. In addition, Rosatom is engaged not only in the construction of nuclear power plants, but also in the maintenance of their operation, as well as the supply of nuclear fuel and the disposal of spent materials.

"This is the only company in the world that operates in absolutely all segments, which creates a competitive advantage," the expert emphasized.

Yushkov believes that the capacity of the nuclear power plant will largely depend on the desire of the Serbian authorities to reduce the share of other energy sources. If Belgrade decides to build a large nuclear power plant, Rosatom will probably offer a classic version with two VVER-1200 reactors. Now the same project is being discussed with Kazakhstan, previously a nuclear power plant of this type was built in Belarus. If a small nuclear power plant is chosen, Rosatom can offer RITM-200 or RITM-400 reactors. They are enough to provide energy to a large city or region of the country.

It is possible to involve several countries at once to work on the NPP project. An example would be the Hungarian Paks-2 plant. Despite the fact that Rosatom is the main contractor for the construction of two large power units, German and French subcontractors make a very significant contribution. This was stated by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, speaking at the IAEA General Conference. Hungary also recently signed an agreement with the United States on the construction of small modular reactors.

Station builder: Russia is ready to start construction of nuclear power plant in Kyrgyzstan

Central Asia shows interest in cooperation with the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear energy

Rosatom currently ranks first in the world in terms of the number of nuclear power plant construction projects abroad, with 39 power units under construction in 10 countries. New construction projects include a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, a low-power plant in Uzbekistan, and plans to build a small nuclear power plant in Myanmar.

Who can prevent cooperation between Russia and Serbia

The European Union may potentially interfere with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Serbia with the participation of Russia. Brussels has already tried to exclude the Russian Federation from the Paks-2 project in Hungary, but Budapest was able to obtain exceptions from the sanctions. Currently, the EU does not impose restrictions on the Russian nuclear industry due to the dependence of France, Slovakia and Hungary on the supply of nuclear fuel from the Russian Federation. The European Commission expects that the EU nuclear sector will be able to completely abandon Russian products by the 2030s. This will require investments of €241 billion.

Serbia is striving to join the EU, and Belgrade is currently harmonizing its legislation with the European one. Brussels is already demanding to join the anti-Russian sanctions, so the EC will try to prevent Russia's participation in major projects in Serbia.

— I think that the EU will not be able to influence this issue globally. Serbia today manages to maintain a certain share of sovereignty and act within the framework of national interests. Russian participation in the construction of the nuclear power plant is in line with Serbia's national interests," stressed Milan Lazovic.

Now the European Union is trying to influence the Serbian authorities by using the protests that have been going on since November last year. Earlier, the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reported that the riots in Serbia involving young people are linked to the subversive activities of the European Union, whose goal is to bring loyal leadership to power. According to the report, an attempt at a "color revolution" will take place on November 1, the anniversary of the tragedy at the railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which killed 16 people. The Serbian president has already thanked the Russian special services for the warning.