Serbia has entered talks with Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom on the potential construction of a nuclear power plant, the Russian daily Izvestia reported on September 17, as Belgrade seeks to revive its dormant atomic energy programme.

Serbian Ambassador to Moscow Momcilo Babic told Izvestia that discussions with Rosatom were “serious” and that progress could be made in the coming years. “We need electricity. We will do it anyway,” Babic was quoted as saying.

The talks follow Serbia’s decision in November 2024 to lift a historic ban on nuclear power imposed by the former Yugoslavia after the Chernobyl disaster. The government expects domestic electricity demand to quadruple by 2050 and is pursuing nuclear energy as a way to bolster energy security amid Europe’s shift away from Russian oil and gas.

Belgrade is currently exploring its options, including both large-scale plants and small modular reactors (SMRs). It is working with French utility EDF on a technical study, and earlier this month signed two memorandums of understanding with South Korea’s KHNP on nuclear cooperation.

Rosatom has signalled it can provide a full package – from construction and maintenance to fuel supply and waste management – and could offer Serbia a preferential loan, in line with its practice in other countries. If Belgrade opts for a large-scale plant, Rosatom is expected to propose its VVER-1200 reactor, already deployed in Belarus.

EU pressure could complicate cooperation with Moscow, given Serbia’s EU accession bid and Brussels’ demand for alignment with its foreign policy and sanctions against Russia. Ivana Stradner, a fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies, noted on X that Serbia was “asking Washington to postpone sanctions on Russia’s Gazprom” while negotiating a nuclear deal with Rosatom, implying the approach was contradictory.

Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic previously said France’s expertise was valuable but noted Paris has not built new plants in decades. By contrast, Rosatom is currently building 39 power units abroad.