Pupin Forum 2026 in Washington, D.C.

The Pupin Initiative organized the third consecutive Pupin Forum in Washington, this year devoted to the U.S.–Serbia Strategic Dialogue. The Forum brought together American and Serbian officials, representatives of the defense sector, investors, and experts to discuss how the newly launched Strategic Dialogue between Serbia and the United States can be translated into concrete results.

Across five program sessions, the discussions focused on defense cooperation, energy security, American investment, new technologies, education and regional connectivity. The shared message from participants was that launching the Strategic Dialogue is an important institutional step, but that its real significance will depend on continuity, concrete projects, and measurable results.

The Strategic Dialogue as the start of a new phase

The Forum was opened by Pupin Initiative President Vuk Velebit and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Lawton.

Velebit stressed that the Strategic Dialogue should not be seen as a final goal, but as a starting point for building a longer-term and more resilient relationship between Serbia and the United States. He particularly emphasized that bilateral relations cannot depend solely on governments and political cycles, and that the business community, universities, civil society, young people, and the Serbian-American community must be more strongly involved in them.

Lawton placed the relationship in the context of 145 years of diplomatic relations between Serbia and the United States, pointing to room for further cooperation in energy, defense, trusted technologies, education, and preparations for EXPO 2027 in Belgrade. He particularly noted the importance of American financing in telecommunications and 5G infrastructure, as well as the importance of choosing reliable partners in developing infrastructure for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

Twenty years of the Ohio–Serbia partnership

A special session of the Forum was devoted to the twentieth anniversary of the State Partnership Program between the Ohio National Guard and Serbia.

Major General Matthew Woodruff, commander of the Ohio National Guard, spoke with Vuk Velebit about the development of a partnership that over two decades has grown from a formal military program into a broad network of institutional and personal relationships.

Woodruff said that about 75 percent of the Ohio National Guard’s international activity is connected with Serbia, while the scope of cooperation in the coming period could reach between 50 and 60 different engagements. Interoperability, cybersecurity, healthcare, economic cooperation, investment, and cooperation between defense industries were singled out as areas with further potential.

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the partnership, the Pupin Initiative presented the Major General with an award for his contribution to strengthening long-term ties between Serbia and the United States.

Defense as one of the foundations of the relationship

PANEL I   ·   U.S.–Serbia Strategic Bilateral Cooperation

The panel on strategic bilateral cooperation brought together Serbia’s Ambassador to the United States, Dragan Šutanovac, Andrew Peek, James Carafano, and Philip Reeker, moderated by Collin Janich.

The discussion focused on how to turn the existing political momentum into lasting institutional cooperation.

Šutanovac identified defense cooperation as one of the key areas for further advancing the relationship, with the partnership with the Ohio National Guard as an existing platform on which cooperation can be built further. Speaking about energy, he pointed to the importance of diversifying Serbia’s sources of supply and developing new infrastructure.

Carafano stressed that in its relations with the United States, Serbia should define more clearly what it brings to the partnership itself, from its geographic position and human capital to industrial capacity and the potential to connect different European corridors.

Reeker particularly emphasized the need to institutionalize the Strategic Dialogue through regular contacts, a clear structure, and continuity that will not depend on individual political moments.

Investment, technology and the question “Why Serbia?”

PANEL II   ·   U.S.–Serbia Economic Bilateral Cooperation

The second panel was devoted to economic cooperation between Serbia and the United States, with representatives of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the technology and investment sectors, and the Pupin Initiative.

Caroline Vik of the DFC said the institution is open to projects from Serbia, particularly in energy, critical minerals, the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, AI data centers and financial services. At the same time, she stressed that a project’s strategic importance is not enough on its own — projects must be commercially viable and financially sound.

Alex Wheldon pointed to the quality of technological and entrepreneurial talent in Serbia, but also to the need for Serbia to develop more domestic companies capable of operating globally.

Vladimir Milosevic of Google AI stressed that in an era of rapid development of artificial intelligence, having strong people alone is no longer enough. In his words, Serbia must identify the sectors in which it has particular advantages and clearly define its areas of technological specialization.

Kaush Arha, Senior Advisor at the Pupin Initiative, singled out energy, drone manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, and agriculture as areas with significant potential, and proposed forming sector-based working groups within the Strategic Dialogue.

Serbia as a regional hub

PANEL III   ·   Balkans and Regional Connectivity: Energy, Infrastructure, and Strategic Corridors

The closing panel was devoted to regional connectivity, energy, and strategic corridors.

Participants discussed Serbia’s position at the intersection of transport and energy routes connecting Central Europe, the Danube, the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Chris Jennions of Bechtel pointed to infrastructure projects worth about two billion dollars, including projects on the Belgrade–Bar and Kraljevo–Novi Pazar routes, as well as the importance of the Belgrade–Budapest and Belgrade–Niš rail links. He singled out the potential of the Đerdap 3 pumped-storage hydropower project, which, according to figures presented during the Forum, could provide approximately 27 days of energy storage.

Justin Friedman spoke about nuclear energy as a potentially important element of Serbia’s long-term energy security, while Paolo Messa pointed to the possibility of connecting the Western Balkans with wider international corridors, including the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

From dialogue to results

The Pupin Forum 2026 in Washington showed that the new Strategic Dialogue between Serbia and the United States opens space for more systematic cooperation across a range of areas — from defense and energy to investment, new technologies and regional infrastructure.

The same message ran through every session: political momentum is an opportunity, but the lasting value of the Strategic Dialogue will depend on institutions, regular engagement and concrete projects.

Twenty years of cooperation between Serbia and the Ohio National Guard show how sustained institutional cooperation can grow into a stable, multidimensional partnership. The next step is to apply the same principle to the wider bilateral relationship — from Strategic Dialogue to strategic action.

The Pupin Forum is a platform of the Pupin Initiative dedicated to discussion on the future of relations between Serbia and the United States. Participation by speakers does not imply support for any political position, and the views expressed during the Forum belong to their authors.