Djuric: Serbia regional leader in AI development

BELGRADE - Closing a two-day AIability 2026 conference in Belgrade, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Tuesday Serbia was the first southeast European country to have adopted a systemic approach to development of artificial intelligence and positioned itself as a regional leader, which he noted was also acknowledged through the country's Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) chairmanship.

Djuric said the Serbian MFA had decided to make the AIability conference - which brings together representatives of the academic community and the industry, as well as decision-makers and young people - a traditional event.

He noted that the world was facing a new industrial revolution and that Serbia had identified that moment in a timely manner, and added that Serbia's first AI development strategy had been adopted as early as in 2019, with a new strategy until 2030 currently being implemented successfully.

"Artificial intelligence is not just a new technology, but a transformative force that is changing health care, education, agriculture, public services and the economy. While many debated whether it would change the world, we decided to board the plane of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on time, and we were not wrong in doing so," Djuric said.

He added that the strategic decision had produced tangible results through development of science and technology parks, the BIO4 Campus project and a State Data Centre in Kragujevac with a National Platform on AI.

"We need dialogue and cooperation to ensure that new technologies are in service of mankind, and Serbia is committed to working responsibly and constructively towards that objective. By establishing the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution as the first such centre in the region in partnership with the World Economic Forum, we have demonstrated a readiness to take part in an international discussion on responsible development and applications of new technologies," Djuric said.

The Serbian diplomacy is continuously monitoring global trends, Djuric said, adding that scientific diplomacy had been identified as a strategic instrument for encouraging development and strengthening international cooperation.