Events
Belgrade energy days
At the "Belgrade Energy Days" conference held at the European House, at the invitation of the Belgrade City Secretariat for Energy, Program Director Darko Obradović participated as a panelist. On this occasion, Obradović emphasized the fact that the green transition represents the most extensive economic operation in human history and that energy efficiency is not an expense but an investment and a source of new job creation. He also addressed the "Jadar" lithium mine due to its central importance for the green transition, as well as the opportunity for Serbia to attract new investments, technologies, and strategically align with Western supply chains. The conference gathered a large number of participants from the fields of business and public policy.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Ashot Hovakimyan, visited the Center for Strategic Analysis
H.E. Ashot Hovakimyan, non-resident ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, visited the Center for Strategic Analysis. During the visit, Ambassador Hovakimyan became acquainted with the work of the Center and its ongoing activities. The visit was attended by Haik Khemçyan, head of the office at the Armenian Embassy in the Czech Republic in Belgrade. H.E. Hovakimyan presented the Armenian government’s platform "Crossroads of Peace," which offers a solution to decades-long conflicts and disputes. The ambassador provided information on the current state of bilateral relations and prospects for further cooperation between the two countries. The Center for Strategic Analysis expressed its expert support for the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative, aiming to actively participate in promoting peaceful resolutions in the South Caucasus in the future.
conference Energy security challenges and perspectives
The study "Energy Security Under Scrutiny," available at the link. On April 11, 2025, in Belgrade, a conference titled "Energy Security – Challenges and Perspectives" was held, organized by the Center for Strategic Analysis. The conference is part of the project "Energy Security of the Western Balkans Under Scrutiny," supported by the Kingdom of Norway through the ad hoc mechanism Smart Balkan. As part of the project, the Center for Strategic Analysis prepared the study "Energy Security Under Scrutiny," which addressed issues of national and energy security, unresolved status of the Serbian Oil Industry, and analyzed manipulative campaigns and the impact of disinformation on public opinion in the field of energy security. Special attention was paid to energy as a tool of Russian hybrid warfare and Serbia’s energy sovereignty. The event in Belgrade was officially opened by the Deputy Prime Minister of Vojvodina, Sandra Božić, who emphasized that all countries are affected by the energy crisis caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, global supply chain disruptions, and that the negative consequences have also reached Serbia. Božić added that the Republic of Serbia demonstrates a commendable level of responsibility and readiness to dedicate itself to the issue of energy, thinking strategically from the very beginning to protect national interests and improve the standard of living of citizens. Kristijan Trajkovski, representing the Smart Balkans team, welcomed the participants, noting that such projects support understanding of complex challenges and risks, and added that the SmartBalkan project, as a consortium of partners, will support development initiatives through various projects. This is the first conference held on the topic of energy security in Serbia since sanctions were imposed on NIS due to its Russian ownership. Addressing the audience, CZSA Program Director Darko Obradović stated that energy security is the foundation of national security and cannot be viewed outside the context of geopolitical risks, hybrid threats, and new sources of growth. He emphasized that the issue of energy security has long been a taboo in Serbia, the Russian energy monopoly has not been seriously questioned, nor have active efforts been made to seek alternative partnerships. Within our study, a group of authors identified 12 key recommendations and conclusions aimed at providing answers and assessing the current situation. The most significant recommendations from the "Energy Security Under Scrutiny" study concern eliminating Russian ownership in NIS, improving the energy security index, strengthening energy partnerships, attracting new investments, and considering the green transition, which offers new growth opportunities for Serbia, concluded Obradović. During the first panel, "Energy Security and Geopolitics," speakers included State Secretary in the Ministry of Energy Stefan Srbljanović, City Secretary for Energy Milan Čukić, and Professor Ilija Životić from the Faculty of Engineering Management. State Secretary Srbljanović emphasized that Serbia has invested heavily in the energy sector and that efforts are underway to align with adopted strategies. He mentioned strategic projects such as the gas pipelines with Hungary and the hydroelectric power plants Bistrica and Đerdap III. Regarding the gas pipelines, Serbia has signed memorandums with Romania and North Macedonia, creating prerequisites for the formation of a trans-Balkan corridor; we face years of investment in the energy sector in order to prepare for the future. We will act strategically, Srbljanović highlighted. The City Secretary for Energy stated that the principles in energy are quality, continuity, and quantity, and that energy security is the cornerstone of every stable economy. Professor Ilija Životić from the Faculty of Engineering Management pointed out that there is no national security without energy security. In this context, Professor Životić appeals for the alignment of strategic documents and believes that energy security will form the backbone of future national security strategies. "The number of tanks and missiles doesn’t matter if you don't have energy," Životić explained. Darko Obradović highlighted that the Oil Industry of Serbia accounts for 7% of Serbia’s GDP and that, for this reason, solving the issue of Russian ownership is important based on Serbia’s commercial interests. Serbia cannot influence geopolitical risks, but it can make decisions to mitigate them by choosing reliable partners, Obradović concluded. The second panel, "Energy Between Facts and Media Reporting," gathered experts from fields including media, nuclear energy, economics, and geopolitics. Marko Matić from the Center for Responsible Media stated that it is time to establish a national team to combat disinformation, namely the Center for National Resilience, since, for example, energy issues are often the subject of disinformation. Matić highlighted that since the privatization of NIS, energy has been viewed as a geopolitical issue, and two narratives have persisted to this day. The first claims that it is impossible to replace Russian energy supplies and that all alternatives are doomed to failure; the second asserts that diversifying energy sources and implementing a green transition are unfeasible. Both narratives are deeply manipulative, making it difficult for accurate information to reach citizens. The Director of Nuclear Facilities of Serbia emphasized that nuclear energy is the future and that the need for nuclear power plants, considered the most reliable, has re-emerged. Political will and technical and expert capacities are crucial for nuclear energy; he noted that Serbia is ready for its first nuclear power plant. As a successor to the former Yugoslavia, Serbia can be regarded as a country that has long been in contact with nuclear technology. Regarding nuclear power plants, the most important factor is choosing a reliable partner, while everything else is already standard procedure, concluded Arbutina. Economist Saša Đogović stated that large energy projects require macroeconomic stability, social stability, and sources of growth. Discussing sanctions on NIS, master Đogović pointed out that there are three scenarios: an agreement with Russia, finding a strategic partner who does not fall under sanctions, and nationalization as the ultimate measure to protect Serbia’s interests. Branimir Đokić noted that NIS, with Russian ownership, represented a vehicle for Russian political influence, and it is necessary to investigate the extent of this influence so that the public is aware that Russian ownership was not driven solely by economic interests. The panel concluded that it is time to declare the right to truth as a human right, representing a higher level of protection for citizens against disinformation. The reason lies in the fact that most issues in the energy sector are of a referendum character—such as lithium mines, nuclear power plants, and other large projects—and if this is the case, the protection of truthful information for citizens becomes essential. The recommendations and conclusions of the study "Energy Security Under Scrutiny" are presented in their entirety: Nationalization of NIS or finding a new strategic partner Diversification of energy sources Strengthening energy partnerships Investments in energy infrastructure Engagement in regional energy initiatives Public awareness and education Proactive long-term engagement in lithium mine projects Green transition as a new source of growth Establishment of a national team to combat disinformation Campaigns to raise public awareness Improving media literacy Strengthening independent media After months of work on the study, a group of authors identified key challenges, threats, and risks related to the energy security of Serbia and the Western Balkans. Each of the resulting conclusions, in the form of recommendations, is based on expert opinions, which indicate that energy security is vulnerable to geopolitical risks, and that energy diversification, investments, and reliable partnerships are crucial for mitigating risks and strengthening energy security. New sources of growth and investments in areas such as nuclear energy and renewables form the basic prerequisites for attracting investments and boosting industrial production. Analyzing the field of energy security, the expert groups working on the study identified the necessity of establishing a national team to combat disinformation, focusing on fighting foreign influence and disinformation. This team should consist of government officials, media representatives, civil society groups, and cybersecurity experts to coordinate actions. The energy sector and the green transition are under strong attack from disinformation campaigns, which provoke debates not based on facts and reduce the potential for expert public discussion. Fostering partnerships with other countries and international organizations to build a more resilient energy supply chain should be a priority. Cooperation with EU member states or other Western countries such as the USA and Norway could enhance Serbia’s energy security. The need for active involvement in regional energy initiatives and organizations has been recognized to improve cooperation with neighboring countries, exchange best practices, and develop joint energy projects. The Center for Strategic Analysis expects that the "Energy Security Under Scrutiny" study will initiate activities related to making strategic decisions important for Serbia’s energy sector or at least generate greater public interest in this area.
