Serbia received an "incredible offer" from China for the construction of its first nuclear power plant.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that the country received an "incredible offer" from China regarding the potential construction of the first nuclear power plant in Europe.
After talks with the Prime Minister of China, Li Qiang, Vučić said he was pleasantly surprised by the terms proposed by China, especially the price and construction timelines.
He said: "They offered us incredible conditions for the nuclear energy project."
Vučić is on his first state visit to China from May 24 to 28. On May 25, he held talks with the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in Beijing. According to a statement from the Chinese government, the leaders highly valued the "unbreakable" friendship between the two countries and promised to enhance cooperation.

In March, the Ministry of Mining and Energy of Serbia published a preliminary technical study on nuclear energy, which outlines an action plan for the potential construction of the first nuclear power plant around 2040.
The study, to be completed in June 2025 by the French company EDF, states that all necessary research for the government to make a decision on the feasibility of the nuclear program must be completed by mid-2027, after which institutional, regulatory, and human resource capacity building will follow.
This will allow Serbia to select the technology and begin awarding construction contracts by 2032.
There are no nuclear power plants in Serbia. In accordance with a law adopted in 1989 after the Chernobyl disaster, the country imposed a moratorium on the development of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear facilities.
However, the government has recently taken steps to reassess nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy strategy. In 2024, Serbia lifted a long-standing ban on the development of nuclear energy and signed cooperation agreements with several countries and companies to explore potential nuclear projects.

Energy Minister Dubravka Jedović Handanović stated that Belgrade is considering the possibility of building its first nuclear power plant, with construction potentially starting by 2035.
According to earlier reports, the French company EDF and the Russian "Rosatom" have shown interest in the Serbian nuclear energy development program.
The energy development strategy of Serbia, which extends until 2040 with forecasts until 2050, includes nuclear energy as a potential option for providing low-carbon, regulated capacities alongside a planned large-scale expansion of renewable energy production.
According to Koviljka Stanković, the President of the Serbian Nuclear Society, Serbia is "only beginning to consider" whether nuclear energy is the solution to electricity demand and reducing harmful emissions into the environment.

"Entering the nuclear program is not the result of a single political decision," she said, adding that "this is a long process based on expert analysis, international standards and recommendations, as well as broad public consensus."

26 May 2026 | By David Dalton

In the photo: The Chairman of the PRC Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and his wife Tamara Vučić before talks in Beijing. Photo provided by Xinhua News Agency/Se Huanqi