October 21 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government has signed a cooperation agreement with Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom for the construction of a nuclear science research centre in Serbia, Rosatom said.
When put into operation, the centre will allow solving tasks in the production of radioisotopes for medical, industrial and agricultural purposes, the output of doped silicon, but will also improve the composition analysis testing of minerals and the training of nuclear industry professionals, Rosatom said in a statement on Saturday.
"The project is based on our long-term cooperation in the field and traditional ties between Russian and Serbian nuclear scientists. We are determined to start the project as soon as possible", Rosatom director general Alexey Likhachev said in the statement
Russian and Serbian specialists will cooperate to improve the nuclear and radiation safety regulatory system, which is necessary to follow the national policy requirements in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as adhere to the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rosatom noted.
"The centre will produce radioisotopes that will help to solve the problem of radiopharmaceuticals shortage for cancer treatment while radioisotopes can also address the needs of industry and agriculture," Nenad Popovic, minister without portfolio in charge of innovation, said in the statement.
In January, Rosatom signed a cooperation agreement with Serbia for the execution of joint projects in the field of nuclear energy. The agreement envisages assistance in the creation and improvement of nuclear energy infrastructure in Serbia, design, construction and modernisation of research nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine development, as well as implementation of fundamental and applied research in the field of nuclear energy.