According to Serbian Economist, Serbia plans to start construction of its first nuclear power plant by 2035 and is cooperating with French energy company EDF as part of its preparations, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Jedovic Handanovic said in an interview with RTS.
The minister stressed that EDF can help Serbia with its experience and knowledge in preparing the project. At the same time, she said, no decision has yet been made on the specific technology for the future nuclear power plant.
The preparatory process for the construction of the nuclear power plant is estimated to take approximately four years: by mid-2027, the authorities intend to complete the first phase, which involves analyzing the regulatory framework and requirements, after which the second phase, including preparation for construction, will begin. The ministry noted that the first additional studies are planned to be carried out jointly with EDF with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD) on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement between Serbia and France.
Against the backdrop of the launch of the nuclear agenda, Serbia is simultaneously in contact with other potential partners and technology suppliers.
Potential partners and companies involved in the preparation and negotiations:
France – EDF (as well as Egis Industries as part of the preliminary technical study contractors).
Serbia also signed a memorandum with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP, South Korea) on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and personnel training.
Serbia considered Rosatom (Russia) as a possible partner for the exchange of experience.
Separately, it was reported that Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC, UAE) was ready to share its roadmap for the development of a nuclear program.
The United States (agreements/information exchange between regulators and willingness to support program preparation) and China (memorandum with the China Institute of Atomic Energy) were also mentioned in the context of contacts.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2404
Dynamics of imports of services in January-September 2025 by the most important items compared to the same period in 2024, %
According to preliminary data, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises reduced pig iron production in January-February of this year by 11.2% compared to the same period last year, to 1.012 million tons.
According to information from the Ukrmetallurgprom association on Monday evening, 461,900 tons of pig iron were produced in February, compared to 549,900 tons in the previous month.
As reported, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises increased pig iron production by 11.2% in 2025 compared to 2024, to 7.884 million tons.
In 2024, Ukraine increased pig iron production by 18.1% compared to 2023, to 7.090 million tons.
In 2023, Ukraine reduced pig iron production by 6.1% compared to 2022, to 6.003 million tons.
In 2022, the country reduced pig iron production by 69.8% compared to 2021, to 6.391 million tons.
In pre-war 2021, 21.165 million tons of pig iron were produced, which was 103.6% of the 2020 level.
The European Union has officially allowed the import of planting material for common cherries (Prunus cerasus), blue cherries (Prunus canescens), and their hybrids from Ukraine, according to the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba).
According to the report, the decision was made by the European Commission (EU Executive Regulation 2025/1949) after reviewing the technical dossier prepared by the Ukrainian side. The document allows the import of unvaccinated plants up to two years old in a dormant state (without leaves) into the EU.
“The opening of the EU market for Ukrainian planting material is another step towards deeper integration into the European space and strengthening Ukraine’s reputation as a reliable trading partner,” the agency said.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection emphasized that exporters must ensure unconditional compliance with the phytosanitary requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. Each shipment must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, and non-compliance with the importing country’s standards is grounds for refusal to issue it.
The agency drew attention to the need to recognize the equivalence of Ukraine’s certification system for the full export of material covered by Council Directive 2008/90/EC. In this context, an important step was the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/75 of January 12, 2026, on the equivalence of material for the propagation of fruit plants grown in third countries.
The escalation of the war around Iran has already gone beyond a regional conflict and has become a factor in global inflation. On March 9, Brent rose above $119 per barrel intraday, its highest level since 2022, and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned that a sustained 10% increase in oil prices could add about 0.4 percentage points to global inflation. The scale of the risk is also explained by logistics: in 2024, about 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which is approximately 20% of global liquid hydrocarbon consumption.
For Ukraine, the fastest channel for transmitting such a shock is the fuel market. After losing a significant part of its own refining capacity, the country relies on imports: in 2024, Ukraine imported about 1.2 million tons of gasoline, and in January-September 2025, imports of petroleum products reached 5.67 million tons. Even before the current price surge, the market remained sensitive to logistics and external conditions: The NBU noted an acceleration in the growth of prices for gasoline, diesel, and liquefied gas due to supply disruptions, and Reuters reported that in January 2026, gasoline imports grew by 70% year-on-year due to a shortage of domestic production. This makes gasoline, diesel, and autogas the most likely first group of goods to react to a protracted oil shock.
“If the conflict around Iran drags on, Ukraine will feel it almost immediately through rising fuel costs, and then through higher logistics, import, and food prices. For our economy, this is not only an external shock, but also additional inflationary pressure on the domestic market,” says Maksim Urakin, founder of the Experts Club analytical center and candidate of economic sciences.
The second vulnerable group is imported products with long logistics and a high share of transport costs. In 2025, Ukraine increased its imports of agri-food products by 13% to $9.12 billion, with the EU’s share exceeding 53.9%. The largest items in the procurement structure were fruits, berries, and nuts ($1 billion), fish and seafood ($999 million), alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages ($870 million), cocoa products ($640 million), coffee, tea, and spices ($471 million), and vegetables ($467 million). It is these categories — from bananas and citrus fruits to coffee, chocolate, and seafood — that are most sensitive to increases in freight, fuel, refrigerated logistics, and dollar-denominated commodity prices.
“Consumers will feel the price increases most noticeably where there is a large share of imports and transportation costs. First and foremost, this concerns fuel, coffee, chocolate, fish, seafood, and fruit, and a little later, goods whose prices include more expensive fertilizers, gas, and packaging,” Urakin noted.
The third risk area is fertilizers and then Ukrainian-produced food. There has already been an increase in prices not only for oil and gas, but also for sugar, fertilizers, and soybeans following the escalation around Iran. At the same time, European gas prices jumped by 35-40% in early March, and the EU convened a coordination group on gas supplies. This is doubly sensitive for Ukraine: the NBU previously estimated the need for gas imports in 2026 at $1.1 billion after $2.9 billion in 2025, and fertilizer imports in 2025 rose to 3.285 million tons.
According to GIZ estimates, Ukraine’s dependence on nitrogen fertilizer imports has already exceeded 60%. This means that if oil and gas prices remain high for a long time, in a few months the pressure may shift to the cost of grain, greenhouse vegetables, milk, meat, and other food products.
Products linked to petrochemicals and metals deserve special mention. Oil is a basic raw material for a wide range of chemical products, and Reuters has already noted that aluminum prices have risen to a four-year high amid the current conflict. This increases the risk of price increases for plastic packaging, household chemicals, paints, certain types of cosmetics, tires, PVC materials, and some construction products. The same applies to bitumen, a direct petroleum product, whose imports to Ukraine, according to industry estimates, will remain significant in 2026.
The currency factor could be an additional amplifier. Against the backdrop of the war, investors are turning to the dollar as a safe haven asset. This is important for Ukraine because oil, gas, coffee, cocoa, fertilizers, and a significant portion of other imports are denominated in dollars, and the EU remains the country’s largest trading partner, accounting for more than 50% of trade in goods. Even without a physical deficit, this increases the risk of more expensive imports in hryvnia.
However, not all goods will react equally quickly. Basic products, where Ukraine remains a major producer — primarily wheat, corn, and sunflower oil — are less dependent on immediate imports, and the wheat and corn harvest in 2025 turned out to be better than early expectations.
Therefore, in the short term, fuel, imported fruits and seafood, coffee and chocolate, fertilizers, chemicals, and some construction materials are likely to see the sharpest price increases. But if the energy shock drags on, the rise in logistics costs will almost inevitably begin to seep into the prices of Ukrainian-made goods.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/vijna-v-irani-pidnime-cziny-na-palyvo-ta-import-analiz-tovariv/
The Oscar cinema (Gulliver shopping center) in Kyiv hosted a pre-premiere screening of the crime thriller Secret Agent by Oscar-nominated director Kleber Mendonça Filho. According to the organizers, the film will be released in Ukrainian cinemas on March 12.
Among the guests at the screening were representatives of the Brazilian Embassy in Ukraine, which supported the pre-premiere presentation of the film.
“The Secret Agent” has already received four awards at the Cannes Film Festival, two Golden Globe awards, and four Oscar nominations, according to the organizers.
The film is set in Brazil in the 1970s. The main character, scientist Marcelo, is forced to flee from the dictatorship. Escaping from hired killers, he finds himself in an atmosphere of carnival, police violence, and the activities of a mysterious resistance movement.
The film is being distributed in Ukraine with the support of the European Union’s Creative Europe MEDIA program.
