Serbia will not build a facility for the processing and storage of nuclear waste, and this is not “behind the story on lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy,” reads a statement by the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy issued following Nova S editor Ratko Femic’s appearance on N1’s show New Day.

“Each state takes responsibility for storing waste from its own state facilities, so Serbia cannot in any way become a repository for nuclear waste from facilities located in other countries. There isn’t an agreement that could change this. Our country’s laws prohibit the import of any kind of waste, especially of nuclear waste. This is a very serious topic and that is how we approach it,” said the Ministry.

Prior to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to France, the Ecological Uprising asked Vucic to say if he is planning to discuss with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron the disposal of France’s nuclear waste in Serbia.

At the France-Serbia Business Council held Tuesday in Paris Vucic said that Serbia also needs cooperation with companies for the construction of landfills and waste management, with which long-term agreements are usually signed. Also discussed was cooperation between the two countries in the electricity sector. The Serbian President announced that Serbia is close to signing a deal with French aircraft manufacturer Dassault on the purchase of Rafale fighter jets.