Nenad Popovic, PhD

Nenad Popović, PhD is a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in his third term. Before that, he was the Minister for Innovation and Technological Development of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for two terms (2017-2022). In the past, he was a successful entrepreneur, businessman and economist.

He founded the Serbian People’s Party (SNP) in 2014 after serving as vice president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. As president of the SNP, he stands for the national vision of an independent and free Serbia, and strives to build an economically developed, prosperous and socially responsible Serbia. He believes that with adequate work, education, health care and social opportunities, Serbs can become happier and more productive. SNP has been a parliamentary party since 2016, which has local organizations in cities and municipalities throughout the Republic of Serbia.

He started his career in the civil service in 2005 as the Head of the Economic Team for Kosovo and Metohija, and the deputy president of the Coordination Center of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija. In that period, he built his opinion and gained a more comprehensive insight into the problems of Kosovo, which he sees as an inalienable and spiritually most important part of Serbia.

In the period from 2008 to 2012, Mr. Popović was a deputy in the National Assembly, after which he was vice president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia from 2012 to 2014. He led the parliamentary friendship group with the Russian Federation.

He started his business career as a supplier of aluminum and metals for global companies such as Euromin, Vitol Group and Marc Rich Investment. ABS Elektro, the company founded by Dr. Popović in 1994, today has 3,100 employees in eight companies and scientific institutes in Russia..

Mr. Popović graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, and received his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Faculty of Economics in Moscow. He was a professor at the Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov University in Moscow for 5 years. He graduated from the 10th class of the High School of Security and Defense in 2021. He is an honorary member of the Engineering Academy of Serbia. He speaks Russian and English.

Author of eight books and more than 120 scientific papers in the field of economics, regional development, management, economic relations between Serbia and Russia, as well as the economic development of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija.

In 2002, he founded the “ABS Elektro” Foundation, a humanitarian organization that supports various projects related to children, culture, science, education and sports. He is the honorary president of the “St. Alexander Nevski” Foundation from Belgrade, which is responsible for the restoration of the memorial complex of the Russian Necropolis monument at the New Cemetery in Belgrade. He is the honorary president of the “Besmrtni puk” Foundation from Belgrade. He was also the president of FC Partizan.

Mr. Popović is the recipient of the Order of Humanity of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro for exceptional contributions in helping the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, awarded him the Order of Friendship in 2010 for his special contribution to the development and strengthening of economic and social ties between Serbia and Russia.

He is the bearer of several orders awarded by the Serbian Orthodox Church: Medal of Saint Sava II degree for the restoration and strengthening of faith and the church in Serbia, awarded by His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia, the Order of Holy King Milutin of the Serbian Orthodox Church in recognition of his help in decorating the temples and monasteries of the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla, which is awarded by His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia.

He also received several prestigious awards given by the Russian Orthodox Church, the most significant of which are: the Holy Prince Danilo of Moscow for the spiritual revival of Russia, which is awarded by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the •   Order Saint Sergius of Radonezh for a special contribution to the development of relations and the rapprochement of Orthodox peoples, which is awarded by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the Order of Saint Seraphim of Sarov for special contribution to the revival of monasteries, churches, temples, as well as for church and social activism, which is awarded by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

He is married and the father of five children.