Five Serbian ministries and 20 companies and universities have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin work on a civil nuclear power programme.
He said: “No one has any doubts that the issue of electricity will be dominant and strategic, as well as that investment in this area will be a matter of sovereignty and independence of a country.”
Vucevic, who has long been an advocate of nuclear power, added that Serbia’s acquisition of nuclear energy should not be “politicised”.
Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, the energy minister, said the aim of the agreement was to bring together experts from Serbia and elsewhere to establish the programme.
In April, Serbian officials held meetings with Rolls-Royce and EDF.
She said: “The topic is both energy and national security, and that is why it is important to consider all the facts in a professional and committed manner and not to skip a single step on the way, because we have no room for mistakes.”
Koviljka Stankovic, a professor of physics at Belgrade University and the founder of the Serbian Nuclear Society, was also present at the press conference.
She called for a preliminary technical study to compare available technologies.
According to Vucevic, Serbia has three main problems to solve, namely a lack of expertise, money, and public support.
On the last subject, he said: “We will always need to get a change of mindset in our people, which is not easy, but we are ready to do it.”
Radio Free Europe comments that Serbia may not necessarily go down the big nuclear route that counties such as Turkey and Egypt are pursuing.
It notes that China National Nuclear Corporation could supply small modular reactors that are less risky and may better suit Serbia’s modest nuclear power needs.
Another option – already proposed by Vucevic – would be to buy a stake in Hungary’s Paks 2 plant, being built by Rosatom.
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