THE YUGOSLAV ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAM

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629854
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-01084
• Publication Date: November 25, 1958

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SECRET
N? 73
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
Yr 0 VE
�=i)
THE YUGOSLAV ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAM
8 DEC 1958
CIA/S1 41-58
25 November 1958
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE
-SECRET
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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Scientific Intelligence Report
THE YUGOSLAV ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAM
NOTICE
The conclusions, judgments, and opinions
contained in .this finished intelligence report
are based on extensive scientific intelligence
research and represent the final and consid-
ered views of the Office of Scientific Intelli-
gence.
CIA/SI 41-58
25 November 1958
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE
�SEERE*
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�SEELREZ
PREFACE
This study supersedes the chapter on Yugoslavia in CIA/SI
92-56, Nuclear Energy Activities in Foreign Countries, Volume
, Western Europe, 22 October 1956, SECRET/NOFORN. It also
covers estimated Yugoslavia uranium ore production. This
study is based on information available as of 1 June 1958.
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CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE lii
PROBLEM 1
CONCLUSIONS 1
SUMMARY 1
DISCUSSION 2
Scope of the Yugoslav Atomic Energy Program . . 2
Organizing and Financing the Program 3
Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy 3
Government Appropriations to the Atomic Energy
Program 4
Nuclear Physics Research Facilities 4
Boris Kidric Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Vinca . 4
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb 5
Josef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana 5
Institute for the Technology of Mineral Raw Materials,
Belgiade 5
Relationship of Institutes to Federal Government . 5
Operational Facilities 6
Uranium Mining 6
Uranium Milling 6
Uranium Refining and Conversion 6
Heavy Water 6
Reactors 6
Fissionable Material Processing 6
Manufacture of Nuclear Equipment 6
Industrial Production 6
Production at the Institutes 7
Nuclear Applications: Radioactive Isotopes 7
. Nuclear Training 7
Original Domestic and Foreign Training Programs. 7
Recent Domestic Training Programs 8
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CONTENTS (Continued)
1
�
APPENDIX � Key Personnel in the Yugoslav Atomic
Energy Program 11
. Page
Foreign Collaboration 8
General 8
USSR
8
United States II
8
Satellite Nations
9
Other Countries
9
International Organizations
.9
FIGURE
Following Page
T. Areas of Atomic Energy ActivitieS in Yugoslavia . . . 2
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THE YUGOSLAV ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAM
PROBLEM
To assess the objectives and capabilities of the Yugoslav
atomic, energy program and the resources and facilities avail-
able to achieve these objectives.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Yugoslavia has a small atomic energy
program which currently consists almost en-
tirely of basic nuclear research. The more
perceptible objectives of the program include
the increased use of radioactive isotopes and
the eventual use of nuclear propulsion for
ships.
2. The organizations and facilities required
for this limited program are available and
can be expanded as needed.
3. Although originally interested in nuclear
electric power, the Yugoslays now realize that
the application of nuclear electric power is
not economically feasible in Yugoslavia, which
has large amounts of untapped hydro-elec-
tric power resources.
4. Yugoslavia. currently has no capability
to produce nuclear weapons and probably will
continue to devote its resources solely to the
peaceful application of atomic energy.
5. Yugoslavia is dependent upon external
aid to advance its atomic energy program
and, currently, is receiving aid from the USSR
and Western nations. Although Yugoslavia
will probably continue to enlist the support
of several countries, its program would not be
adversely affected by reliance, on only one
country for aid.
SUMMARY
The Yugoslav atomic energy program as
originally conceived provided for construct-
ing, staffing, and equipping three nuclear re-
search institutes. These institutes, now in
operation in Vinca, Zagreb, and Ljubljana,
are being provided with cyclotrons, accelera-
tors, generators, a reactor, and the necessary
electronic and chemical equipment .to permit
a 'wide latitude of basic nuclear research.
Imported radioactive isotopes have been in
limited use for several years in Yugoslavia.
Operation of the research reactor, due to be-
gin at the end of 1958, will permit the produc-
tion of a wide range of radioactive isotopes for
use in industry, medicine, and agriculture.
Centers for the control and distribution of
isotopes are being established in many loca-
tions in Yugoslavia.
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In 1957, Yugoslavia began preliminary
studies of nuclear propulsion. Representa-
tives of shipbuilding firms, other induStry, and
the nuclear research institutes have' formed
groups to study the proposed �construction of
a nuclear propelled vessel.
Although frequently expressing a desire for
nuclear electric power .plants, Yugoslavia has
as yet made no plans for such coristiliction:.
With large amounts of untapped hydro-elec-
tric resources available, the Yugoslays recog-
nize that it would be better to develOp these
resources than to construct nuclear power
plants, which do not yet approach the econo-
my of operation of hydro-electric .plants.
Yugoslavia has, at this time, none of the
plants which are required to produce weapons-
!,
grade nuclear material. Although provisions
have been made for the production of a pluto-
nium separation plant at Vinca, no progress
has been made in attempts to obtain tech-
nical information and equipment from the
Soviet Union for full-scale plutonium process-
ing. Until such a plant is in operation, the
irradiated fuel from the research reactor will
probably be returned to the USSR, which will
undoubtedly retain the plutonium.
Yugoslavia has received most of the hard-
ware for its atomic energy program from the
USSR while receiving isotopes and training
from the West. However, the USSR has
offered to train Yugoslav personnel, and the
United States has offered to sign a research
bilateral agreement which would permit the
sale of hardware.
DISCUSSION
� SCOPE OF THE YUGOSLAV ATOMIC
ENERGY PROGRAM I
�
In the immediate post World War II period,
Yugoslavia took the initial steps in the devel-
opment of an atomic energy program. At
that time, there were very few Yugoslays who
were capable of making significant contribu-
tions to the nuclear sciences. These individ-
uals had been trained in foreign countries,
because prior to this time, Yugoslavia had no
physics research institutes. The physics de-
partments of the various universities were
occupied almost solely with the training of
basic physics teachers for secondary schools.
With this situation in mind, the Yugoslav
atomic energy program was initially planned �
along three major lines: 1) constructing nu-
clear research institutes; 2) training nuclear
scientists and specialists; and 3) fifiding the
necessary raw materials and developing the
processes to use this materia1.1
By 1955, these three objectives had in gen-
eral been gained � three nuclear research in-
stitutes had been established and. were in
operation, numbers of scientists had been
2
trained in foreign countries and within the
Yugoslav institutes, and deposits of low-grade
uranium had been located.
The second phase of the atomic energy pro-
gram started with the establishment of a Fed-
eral Commission for Nuclear Energy. Under
this Commission, the Yugoslav program was
to concentrate on the further training of
physicists and workers; equipping institutes
with advanced equipment; increasing cooper-
ation with foreign nuclear science institutes
and organizations; performing basic research
in atomic energy; and producing isotopes for
use in agriculture, industry, and medicine.1
Currently, these objectives are being accom-
plished and the Yugoslays are beginning to
investigate the production of nuclear ma-
terials.
Yugoslavia has also given thought to the
possible uses of nuclear power and nuclear
propulsion. � According to a Yugoslav paper
on power requirements presented at the
Geneva Conference in 1955, a shortage of lig-
nite for thermal power plants will develop in
Yugoslavia by 1975. Even though by that
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time hydro-electric resources will be utilized
only to the extent of 20 percent of capacity, it
was suggested that nuclear energy would be
used to fill the increasingly widening gap be-
tween the demand for power and the supply
by conventional power facilities.2 Further in-
terest in nuclear power was demonstrated in
September 1956, when a conference was held
on the uses of nuclear energy for electric
power. While one participant predicted that
the first nuclear power plant would be con-
structed in Yugoslavia in 7 to 10 years, it was
recognized that a great deal of research and
industrial ground-work would be necessary
before definite plans could be made.3 Despite
these predictions, the Yugoslays now realize
that it is both expedient and economical to de-
velop unused hydro capacity before trying to
initiate a large scale nuclear power program.
In the summer of 1957, the first efforts to
develop nuclear propulsion in Yugoslavia were
initiated. An investigating team composed of
representatives from shipyards and other in-
dustry was assembled to begin studying the
possibilities of the construction of nuclear
powered ships.4 Preliminary plans of this
group called for the organization of a produc-
tion pool to construct a ship of 40,000, to
50,000 tons displacement at the Treci Maj
(3rd of May) Shipyard at Rijeka, with the
Djuro Djakovic Plant at Slavonski Brod pro-
ducing the reactors and the Jugoturbine Plant
in Karlovac producing the turbines. This
group also expressed a desire to send experts
abroad for training and for studying the pro-
pulsion achievements of other countries.28 In
late 1957, the Federal Commission for Nuclear
Energy began to consider the prospects for
nuclear propulsion and decided: 1) that a
systematic study of the problem should be
made, and 2) that cooperation among the
Commission, the Shipbuilding Institute at
Zagreb, and the production pool at Rijeka
should be established and maintained.21 29 It
has been reported that in late 1957 and early
1958, the atomic section of the Treci Maj Ship-
yard was visited by members of the three
Yugoslav nuclear physics institutes, by mem-
bers of the Federal Commission, and by Soviet
nationals associated with the reactor con-
struction at Vinca.30--37
� ORGANIZING AND FINANCING
THE PROGRAM -
Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy
On 19 March 1955, a decree of the Federal
Executive Council of Yugoslavia established
the Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy.
This 'decree stated the following objectives:
"(1) The Commission shall help, coordi-
nate, and direct the work on development of
nuclear sciences and conduct all work in ap-
plied sciences in this field.
(2) The Commission shall:
a) introduce the plan of work in the
development of nuclear energy and undertake
measures for its implementation;
b) fix requirements in connection
with the development and utilization of nu-
clear energy at the time of the framing of the
Federal Social Plan and the Federal Budget
and submit proposals to the Federal Executive
Council for these purposes;
c) prepare the draft estimate of rev-
enues and expenditures of the Commission.
(3) Within the framework of its tasks, the
Commission shall maintain and develop con-
nections with corresponding organizations
and institutes in foreign countries."
Alexander Rankovic, vice president of the
Federal Executive Council, was appointed
president of the Commission. At the same
time, two vice presidents, a secretary, and
eleven members were appointed. The presi-
dent, the two vice presidents, the secretary,
and three of the eleven members were named
to the presidium of the Commission to execute
the orders of the whole Commission.6 In May
1957, an additional member was added to the
presidium and the number of members not
on the presidium was increased to 17.7
To accomplish the functions assigned to it,
the Commission has set up various organiza-
tional units to study problems connected with
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the work of the Commission, apply the acts of
the Commission, supervise the establishments
that execute tasks assigned by the Commis-
sion, and issue resolutions on duties within
the scope of the Commission. These) organi-
zational units are as follows: the Directorate
of Nuclear Raw Materials; the Section for Sci-
entific Research; the Section for the 1Produc-
ton and Application of Atomic Energy; the
Division for Contacts with Foreign Countries;
the Division for Protection from Radiation;
and several administrative clivisions.5,
Government Appropriations to the Atomic
Energy Program
Prior to 1957, there were no provisions in
the Yugoslav federal budget specifically ear-
marked for atomic energy. The Yugoslav fed-
eral budget for 1957, however, provided 3.5
billion dinars (approximately $5,950,000) for
the "development of nuclear energy" 8 The
State Secretary for Financial Affairs has an-
nounced that the 1958 budget will include 5
billion dinars (approximately $8,500,000) for
the "peaceful uses of atomic energy:" 9
Western observers who have viiited the
three major nuclear physics institutes in re-
cent years have commented that these insti-
tutes, in comparison with other Yugoslav in-
stitutes and universities, seem to have a great
deal of money available for training, equip-
ment, and physical plants. This money seems
to be available in both dinars and foreign ex-
change. Since it has become easier to deal
with the West in recent years, the Yugoslays
have purchased from Western manufacturers
top quality complex instruments and equip-
ment that they could not produce them-
selves.� 18
NUCLEAR PHYSICS RESEARCH FACILITIES
Boris Kidric Institute of Nuclear 1, Sciences,
Vinca
This is the oldest and largest of i the three
main nuclear research institutes: It was
established as an independent institute in
1947 by a resolution of the Federal Govern-
ment. It was directed by Stephan Dedijer un-
4
til 1954, when he was replaced by the current
director, Vojko Pavicic. Pavle Savic; one of
the best known Yugoslav .physicists, is the
president of the scientific council of the in-
stitute.
The institute is organized into the following
divisions: Nuclear Reactors; Control of Reac-
tors; Fission Products; Nuclear Impurities;
Production and Practical Use of Radioactive
Isotopes; Radiation Chemistry; Optical Meth-
ods; Nuclear Metallurgy; Electromatic Sepa-
ration and Mass Spectroscopy; Physical and
Chemical Separation of Isotopes; Accelera-
tors; Electronics; Theoretical Physics; Protec-
tion from Radiation; Design; Technical; Main-
tenance; Planning; and Documentation.
Major equipment in operation at the insti-
tute includes a 0.2 Mev Van de Graaff genera-
tor, a 1.5 Mev Cockroft-Walton accelerator, a
60 curie cobalt 60 source, a mass spectro-
graph, a 120 channel analyzer, and a critical
assembly.
On 17 May 1958, Tito officiated at the open-
ing ceremony attending the operation of the
critical assembly.83 This facility was designed
and built by the Yugoslays but uses natural
uranium and heavy water provided by the
Soviets under the Soviet-Yugoslav agreements
on nuclear energy.34 According to one source,
the pile contains 2 metric tons of natural
uranium and 6 metric tons of heavy water.35
Still under construction at the institute is
the 7 to 10 MW (thermal) research reactor
purchased from the Soviet Union, also under
the Soviet-Yugoslav agreements on nuclear
energy. This reactor is of the material test
type and is designed to have a maximum
thermal flux of 8 x 1077n/cm2/sec.11 It has
been reported, however, that a maximum
thermal flux of 5,5 x 1013n/cm2/second is ex-
pected.37 The reactor is to be heavy water
moderated and cooled and to use 2 percent
enriched uranium in the form of aluminum
clad tubes. The reactor tank and the main
heavy water cooling system are stainless steel.
Secondary cooling is provided by water
pumped from the Danube and circulated
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through double-tubed heat exchangers."
The total weight of the heavy water coolant
and moderator is 7 metric tons. One fuel
loading of the 2 percent enriched uranium
consists of 69 fuel elements at start-up. When
fully poisoned, 83 fuel elements are required.
The actual mass at start-up is 285 kilograms
and when fully poisoned is 340 ki1ograms.25-37
Originally scheduled for completion in 1957,
it has now been stated by the secretary of the
Nuclear Energy Commission that the reactor
will be completed by the end of 1958.12 In
the first quarter of 1958, however, deliveries
by the USSR were several months behind
schedule and the current strained relation-
ship between Yugoslavia and the USSR may
delay completion even longer.47
At the Boris Kidric Institute, research is
also carried out on many subjects associated
with nuclear physics, among these are basic
nuclear physics, effects of radioactivity, ura-
nium ore separation, radioactive material
processing, and reactor design.
This institute has been visited many times
by Western scientists who have been permitted
to inspect all of the institute with the excep-
tion of the warehouses containing Soviet re-
actor equipment and materials; however, re-
cent information indicates that security meas-
ures have been increased."
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb
This institute was established by the Fed-
eral Government in 1951. Velimir Novak is
director of the institute and Professor Ivan
Supek is president of the -administrative
council and a member of the scientific council.
The institute is organized into three major
divisions: Accelerators, Electronics, and Re-
actors. These divisions and their various sub-
divisions perform research on biochemistry,
heavy water, fissionable material processing,
and associated subjects.� The major piece of
equipment at Zagreb is a 16 Mev cyclotron
that is nearly completed. An electron micro-
scope and a neutron generator are currently
in use, and a pilot plant for the separation
of uranium ore is in operation.1�
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Josef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana
The Josef Stefan Institute was originally
founded in 1947 as an institute for physics of
the Slovenian Academy of Sciences. It was
later taken over by the Federal Government
and enlarged as an independent institute.
The director of the institute is Karol Kaj fez
and the president of the administrative coun-
cil is Dr. Anton Peterlin. This institute is
organized into a series of laboratories: Ana-
lytical, Materials, Uranium and Hexafluoride,
Heavy Water, Uranium Concentration, Mass
Spectrometry, Electronics, Reactor Measure-
ments, Radio Biochemistry, Organic Chemis-
try, Accelerators, and Nuclear Physics.� Ma-
jor equipment at Josef Stefan consists of a 2
Mev Van de Graaff accelerator and a 31 Mev
betatron.1�
One of the major problems assigned to this
institute is research on the production of
heavy water. Also under study are certain
nuclear reactor problems and analytical meth-
ods of quantitative determination of the
uranium content of ores.14
Institute for the Technology of Mineral Raw
Materials, Belgrade.
This institute was established by the Fed-
eral Executive Council in June 1955. Al-
though only indirectly concerned with nuclear
physics, it is directed and controlled by the
Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy,
which also designates the top administrative
personnel. Currently, Engineer Bela Bunji is
director, and Engineer Milan Jovanovic is
president of the administrative council. This
institute is responsible for the improvement
of known processes and the development of
new processes for obtaining nuclear fuels from
raw materials. It is also responsible for the
establishment of industrial production of nu-
clear raw materials.�
Relationship of Institutes to Federal Govern-
ment
All four of the above institutes have some
features in common. _ All are controlled and
directed by the Federal Commission for Nu-
clear Energy. The Commission appoints the
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directors and members of the scientific and
administrative councils of the institutes, and
representatives of all four institutes are
among the members of the Commission. As
independent institutes, all are financed di-
rectly by the Federal Government and are
associated with their neighboring universities
only through leading personnel who hold posi-
tions in both the institutes and universities.
OPERATIONAL FACILITIES
Uranium Mining
In 1952, at the request of the Yugoslav gov-
ernment, a geologist of, the U.S. Geological
Survey made a field examination of numerous
suspected uranium deposits in Yugoslavia.
The two most promising deposits at tliat time
were the Idrija mercury deposit in Slovenia
and the Zletova lead-zinc mine in Macedonia.
At these mines, low-grade uranium might be
recovered as a byproduct from ores believed to
have an average uranium content of p.01 per-
cent. The geological setting of much of Yugo-
slavia, particularly Serbia and Macedonia, is
favorable for uranium mineralization, and the
Yugoslays are presently systematically pros-
pecting for radioactive materials. It is not
known at this time how much ore is being
obtained, but it is estimated that the Yugo-
slays are mining annually sufficient ores to
contain about 100 tons of recoverable uranium
metal.
Uranium Milling
Pilot plant production of U208 has been
proceeding for several years in Yugoslavia.
The Federal Commission for Nuclear Energy
considers that the results achieved will per-
mit them to construct major uranium mills
"in the coming years." 15
Uranium Refining and Conversion I
No plants for the production of uranium
salts or metals are in operation in Yugoslavia.
Research on the processes involved is being
done at the institutes- at Vinca, Ljubljana,
Zagreb, and Belgrade." 1" In 1957, the Insti-
tute for the Techno1sav of Mineral Raw Mate-
rials contacted a U.S. firma regarding the engi-
neering, design, and procurement of equip-
ment and materials for a uranium metal pilot
plant with a capacity of 20 tons per year to be
erected in Yugoslavia. The U.S. firm sub-
mitted a proposal for this plant but it has not
as yet been accepted or turned down."
Heavy Water
No heavy water production facilities are in
operation in Yugoslavia. The Josef Stefan
Institute, however, has done laboratory scale
work on the separation of D20 by fractional
distillation, slow evaporation, and cascade
electrolysis.10
Reactors
Other than the exponential pile at Vinca,
the only reactor in Yugoslavia is the 7 to 10
MW material test reactor currently under
construction at Vinca. No other reactors are
known to be scheduled for construction.
Fissionable Material Processing
No plants for the extraction of plutonium
and fissionable materials from irradiated fuel
elements. are in operation. Provisions have
been made for the construction of a separa-
tions plant adjacent to the reactor at Vinca;
but; as of June 1957, the construction of this
building had not begun.11 Yugoslav requests
for technical information and equipment for
full scale plutonium processing from the So-
viet Union have been refused; however, the
Soviets have promised to give advice on the
laboratory processing of plutonium that is be-
ing done at Vine& and Zagreb."
MANUFACTURE OF NUCLEAR EQUIPMENT
Industrial Production
Under the current .Yugoslav program, few
plants have been required to produce nuclear
equipment. The one plant most frequently
mentioned is the Rade Koncar Electric Equip-
ment Plant in Zagreb. This plant has pro-
duced much of the electrical equipment for
the various institutes and supplied many parts
for, the 16 Mev cyclotron at Zagreb." In con-
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nection with the future use of nuclear pro-
pulsion for ships, it has been announced that
the Djuro Djakovic Plant in Slavonski Brad
will produce nuclear reactors.19
Production at the Institutes
In the years when the various institutes
were being established and equipped, it was
virtually impossible to import Western instru-
ments and equipment due to foreign exchange
limitations and trade restriction. As a re-
sult, the workers of the institutes had to pro-
duce much of their own equipment. Each
institute has a well-equipped workshop where
nearly all equipment is produced. At the
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, for instance, Gei-
ger-Mueller tubes are produced for all three
institutes and many of the parts for the cyclo-
tron were made. At the Boris Kidric Insti-
tute, the scientists and technicians con-
structed their own mass spectrograph, 120
channel analyzer, and Cockroft-Walton gener-
ator."
NUCLEAR APPLICATIONS: RADIOACTIVE
ISOTOPES
Radioactive isotopes have been used for
several years in Yugoslav industry, medicine,
and research. The majority of these isotopes
were purchased from the U.K. facility at
Harwell; some were purchased from the U.S.
AEC; and a few were produced by the accel-
erators in operation in Yugoslavia.2023 In
1956, it was realized that the increased use of
isotopes and the attending procurement and
distribution tasks would create many prob-
lems if definite controls and procedures were
not established. Thus in 1957, the Federal
Commission for Nuclear. Energy established a
fund for the purchase of isotopes and made
certain regulations to be complied with before
an institute, industrial enterprise, or hospital
could receive isotopes. Simultaneously, the
Commission provided for the establishment
of various isotope "centers." Centers for the
industrial uses, primarily defectoscopy (use
of radioactive isotopes to defect faults in weld-
ings and castings),* have been set up Belgrade,
Sarajevo, Ljubljana, and Rijeka. The first
center for the application of isotopes in medi-
cine was established in Belgrade, and similar
centers are planned for Zagreb, Ljubljana,
Sarajevo, and Skoplje. Centers for agricul-
tural applications are planned ifor Belgrade,
Zagreb, and Ljubljana.21 23
NUCLEAR TRAINING
Original Domestic and Foreign Training
Programs
Domestic training in the nuclear sciences
in Yugoslavia so far has been provided pri-
marily through the operation of the three
nuclear physics institutes. Young scientists
and technicians at these institutes, through
on-the-job training and associated courses at
the neighboring universities, have received a
basic education in nuclear physics. For more
advanced training, these scientists and tech-
nicians have been sent to various facilities in
foreign, generally Western, countries. Ap-
proximately 20 Yugoslays have studied in the
United States at such places as the AEC's
Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, the
AEC's International School of Nuclear Science
and Engineering at Argonne National Lab-
oratory, and at various universities. Approxi-
mately 10 Yugoslays have studied in France,
Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. While it
has been reported that the engineers sched-
uled to operate the Vinca reactor would be
sent to the USSR for training, only one is defi-
nitely known to have returned to Yugoslavia
after taking a course in reactor operation.0 24
The Yugoslays prefer training in the West
rather than in the USSR for several reasons.
Yugoslav officials have stated that in the
West much more information was available
to the students; the USSR, they say, has with-
held information as classified that would be
completely open in the West. An additional
factor is the frequent change in the political
relationship between the USSR and Yugo-
slavia. Several times in the past, a Yugo-
slav has gone to the USSR during a period
of good relations and then been forced to
remain idle or return home when political
relations cooled.
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Recent Domestic Training Programs
As more of the scientific apparatus and
equipment nears an operational pgint and
the Yugoslav program expands, the shortage
of trained scientists and technicians is again
becoming acute. A program of training at
various Yugoslav institutes and universities
has recently been initiated in an atpempt to
train the numbers of scientists and tech-
nicians who will be required to carry out the
expanding nuclear energy program.(
In 1956, the . Boris Kidric Institute estab-
lished an isotope training school. The course,
which lasts for 7 to 8 weeks, covers all aspects
of the use of isotopes, from the study of radia-
tion effects on living organisms to' defecto-
scopy. In 1957, 105 persons attended the
school, and about 130 were due to attend in
1958.25
In October 1957, the Rudjer Boskovic In-
stitute, in cooperation with the University of
Zagreb, began a post-graduate program in nu-
clear physics. Among the subjects to be
covered were electricity; inorganic, structural,
and radionuclide chemistry; and the chemis-
try and biology of radiation. In the first year,
48 students are due to graduate from this
program."
During the 1958-1959 academic I year, the
University of Zagreb plans to establish a Divi-
sion of Technical Physics and Nuclear Tech-
nology. A variety of subjects in the nuclear
sciences will be offered in a course lasting
several years.27
FOREIGN COLLABORATION
General
The Yugoslays have sought assistra,nce from
both the East and the West in the develop-
ment of their atomic energy program. The
need for external help has been recognized
by the Yugoslays since the beginning of their
interest in atomic energy, and funds were
quickly made available by the Government
to send students to work in many of the nu-
clear centers of the world. During the period
immediately following World War II, prom-
ising young scientists were sent to nuclear
research institutes in Western Europe and the
United States. With the Soviet agreement of
January 1956, the Yugoslays turned to the
East for assistance in obtaining the hardware
needed for their program.41 Although this
agreement also provided for students to be
trained in Soviet institutes, there has been
continued dependence on Western facilities
for most advanced nuclear training."
USSR
From the pure "hardware" point of view,
the Soviets have provided the Yugoslays with
an impressive amount of aid. The USSR pro-
vided the research reactor now under con-
struction at Vinca and also agreed to provide
natural and enriched uranium and heavy wa-
ter for both the reactor and the critical assem-
bly which the Yugoslays constructed them-
selves. All of this equipment and material
was purchased from the Soviets after many
negotiations regarding the price, which the
Yugoslays regarded as excessive. By purchas-
ing the equipment and materials the Yugo-
slays hoped to limit the number of "strings"
attached to the Soviet agreement."
The Soviets have refused to give the infor-
mation or direct assistance needed to con-
struct a chemical processing plant to handle
irradiated fuel elements from the Yugoslav
reactor. They did agree, however, to provide
the equipment for a hot and semi-hot chemical
laboratory.3536 Such equipment, in effect,
gives the Yugoslays the capability to develop
a chemical separations process."
United States
The Yugoslays originally attempted to ob-
tain a research reactor from the United States
but turned to the USSR because of U.S. in-
sistence on the inclusion of "safeguard" pro-
visions (ones ensuring only peaceful uses)
in any bilateral agreement. Although unwill-
ing to agree to the terms of a bilateral agree-
ment with the United States, Yugoslavia has
continued to send students to the U.S. AEC
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atomic training centers at Argonne and Oak
Ridge. Recently, the use of U.S. training
facilities was opposed by some officials in
Yugoslavia, and a policy appears to have been
established that provides that students will
be sent to the United States only when equiv-
alent training cannot be obtained in European
centers.41 The major factor behind this policy
is apparently the higher travel and living ex-
penses in the United States as compared to
Europe. In spite of earlier failures to ob-
tain hardware in the United States, the Yugo-
slays have shown recent interest in obtaining
information on uranium treatment and in
purchasing experimental and power reactors.45
Satellite Nations
Before the fall of 1956, there was little inter-
change between Yugoslav and Satellite sci-
entists. Since then, there have been fairly
extensive exchanges, particularly with Poland
and Czechoslovakia. A Yugoslav delegation
traveled to Czechoslovakia in November 1956
where they reportedly received a cool official
reception but had satisfactory relationships
on a scientist-to-scientist basis.35 On 5 Jan-
uary 1957, the Yugoslays announced that an
agreement had been reached, with a Polish
delegation visiting Yugoslavia on cooperation
in the exploitation of nuclear power for peace-
ful purposes. The agreement calls for co-
operation in research in the use of radioactive
isotopes in industry, agriculture, medicine,
and biology and the exchange of experiences
in geological research and technology con-
cerning nuclear raw materials.44 The initia-
tive was apparently on the part of the Poles,
as the Yugoslays feel that the Poles have little
to offer.4'
Other Countries
Yugoslavia has shown .interest in making
contacts in the nuclear field with many na-
tions. In addition to countries already men-
tioned, Yugoslav students are studying or
working in institutes in Germany, Denmark,
the UK, France, and Sweden.41 Yugoslavia
has held several international physics con-
ferences, among which was a conference in
July 1957 with participation by representa-
tives from France, Italy, Sweden, the USSR,
West Germany, Poland, Finland, and Israel."
In June 1957, the Secretary General of the
Egyptian AEC visited Yugoslavia." In De-
cember 1957, Pavle Savic visited Delhi for the
announced purpose of getting acquainted
with India's activities in the atomic energy
field and to strengthen contacts between the
Yugoslav and Indian nuclear research organi-
zations. Savic's visit was in return for an
earlier one to Yugoslavia by India's Secretary
of the Department of Atomic Energy. In a
press statement, Savic indicated that Yugo-
slavia has agreements with the USSR, Po-
land,. France, Greece, and Egypt for coopera-
tion in the field of atomic research. He stated
further that Yugoslavia was prepared to sign
similar agreements with other countries.14
International Organizations
Yugoslavia is a member of CERN (European
Organization for Nuclear Research) and in
December 1956 was elected to the Committee
of the Council of CERN." Representatives
from Yugoslavia took part in the Conference
on the Statute of the International Atomic
Energy Agency in New York in 1956, and on
17 September 1957, Yugoslavia ratified the
Statute and thus became a member of the
Agency.
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