Balint: Serbia-US cooperation in science, innovation becoming increasingly concrete

BELGRADE - Serbia's caretaker Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Bela Balint attended on Thursday a reception held at the residence of the US ambassador to Belgrade to mark the signing of the Artemis Accords.

"At the event, Balint said that cooperation between Serbia and the United States in science and innovation is becoming increasingly concrete, adding that the ministry will continue working to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are put into practice," a government statement said.

"We want to open up new opportunities for our scientists, research institutions and companies, and create greater scope for stronger cooperation with NASA and American partners in the field of space research," Balint was quoted as saying.

"Scientists from Serbia are already participating in the Vera C Rubin Observatory project, one of the most significant contemporary astronomical endeavours," the minister said.

He expressed the confidence that "science, new technologies and space research can become one of the new bridges that will strengthen ties between Serbia and the United States even further."

Erin Kotheimer, acting deputy of the charge d’affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Belgrade, noted that Serbia "continues to contribute to space science through its partnership in the US-led Legacy Survey of Space and Time programme."

"Much like the United States’ cooperation with Serbia through this programme, the Artemis Accords represent a shared vision: that space exploration should be peaceful, transparent and for the benefit of all humanity," she said.

"Serbia’s accession to this agreement shows that this vision is not merely an aspiration. It is alive, it is becoming a reality, and the United States and Serbia are turning it into reality together," Kotheimer said.