The Serbian government and Russia’s Rusatom state corporation signed a framework agreement to set up a nuclear technology center.

A press release said that an agreement was also signed by Minister for Technological Development Nenad Popovic and Rusatom Overseas President Evgeniy Pakermanov on the implementation of the project in Serbia. Under the agreement, the center should be built within the next three years. Minister Popovic said that the agreement returns Serbia to the map of European countries with the capacities for research in the nuclear technology field.

The press release said that the center will use the most advanced technologies for both medical and industrial purposes. The project is being realized under a 2019 Serbia-Russia inter-state agreement signed during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Belgrade.

Serbian officials have indicated interest in nuclear power facilities over the past few months. Serbia already has the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, a nuclear physics research institution which focuses on physics, chemistry and biology.