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Serbia not intend nuclear power plant with Russia’s aid

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic denied reports saying Serbia took part in the conference due to its interest in Russia’s contribution to building nuclear power stations
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

BELGRADE, June 27 (Itar-Tass) - Serbia does not intend to build a nuclear power plant with Russia’s assistance, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic said.

Mrkic will visit Russia on June 28-29 for talks with Russian Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and director-general of Rosatom State Corporation Sergei Kiriyenko. Mrkic will take part in the IAEA international conference “Atomic Energy in the 21st Century”.

In an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass on Thursday, the Serbian minister said the delegation intended to discuss the use of nuclear energy and exchange views on key issues related to the energy sector and the use of atomic energy in the context of global development.

Special attention will be paid to the atom’s impact on the environment. “Despite all risks and problems related to the use of nuclear energy, many countries count on this source. Thus, Serbia intends to focus on safety of nuclear power plants and the non-proliferation of nuclear materials,” Mrkic stressed.

The minister denied reports saying Serbia took part in the conference due to its interest in Russia’s contribution to building nuclear power stations. “Serbian law bans the erection of nuclear power plants. This means that any talk on their possible construction in our country is only hypothetic,” Mrkic said.

The latest nuclear reactor in Serbia stopped functioning in 1984. Since 2010 the remaining nuclear fuel has been withdrawn to be disposed of in Russia.