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Serbia is looking to cooperate with the French Development Agency and energy company Électricité de France (EDF) in developing its nuclear program and planning the energy transition.
Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović has met with Anne Roos-Weil, Deputy Director for Europe at the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement – AFD), to discuss cooperation and technical support in the energy transition, particularly the development of nuclear energy in Serbia, according to a statement from the Ministry of Mining and Energy.
Đedović Handanović noted that France and Serbia have strong cooperation in several areas of the energy sector.
France is Serbia’s strategic partner in the energy sector, she said, recalling that important agreements on nuclear energy and critical raw materials were signed during a visit to Belgrade by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The first phase involves training expert staff and assessing nuclear power plants’ impact on the transmission grid
Given Serbia’s need for new sources of baseload energy due to rising electricity consumption and decarbonization requirements, AFD has been asked to provide support for the first stage of the country’s nuclear program, she said. The first stage, which is currently underway, involves training expert staff and assessing the impact of nuclear power plants on the transmission grid, according to Đedović Handanović.
Dubravka Đedović Handanović (photo: Ministry of Mining and Energy/Nenad Kostić)
With AFD’s technical support, Serbia will also work on the long-term planning of the energy transition, in line with the goals set for 2050, she added.
The Serbian government has signed a cooperation agreement with EDF in the field of nuclear energy, she recalled, adding that the French state power utility has completed a preliminary technical study on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Serbia.
Talks with EDF on further cooperation are underway
Đedović Handanović noted that France is recognized as a country with extensive experience in nuclear energy, making its expertise highly valuable for Serbia.
“We are discussing further cooperation with EDF on implementing the first phase of the nuclear program, which includes staff training and public outreach on the use of nuclear energy in Serbia,” Đedović Handanović said.
At the meeting, the two sides agreed on the next steps in preparing a special study on AFD’s support for the development of nuclear energy in Serbia, the ministry said, adding that the agncy is also interested in cooperation on energy efficiency.
In November 2025, during the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris, EDF and Serbia’s Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences signed a memorandum of cooperation.
Anne Roos-Weil (photo: Ministry of Mining and Energy/Nenad Kostić)
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