The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, announced today that the United States will impose comprehensive sanctions on the company NIS.
“Based on my discussions with Jose Fernandez, their mandate expires on January 20. The U.S. will impose sanctions—not general, not partial, not just financial, but comprehensive sanctions on our company NIS. Direct sanctions on NIS place us in a very difficult position because, after some time, we will not only face issues with oil procurement but also problems with the refinery, petrochemical industry, and ultimately the survival of our economy as it stands today. We won’t be able to procure spare parts. So far, we’ve managed to find ways through other companies, trying to preserve what we can,” said Vučić.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:
He also announced a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill later today to discuss the energy issue further.
“The question arises—why now, why at this moment? They’ll say it’s aimed at Russia to cut off financing for their war efforts. But they haven’t done that, there are records and evidence proving otherwise. Perhaps they’re bothered by the high profit that the Russian company made; this year, profits are lower, and in the years to come, they cannot remain high. Whether this is related to some external attempts to destabilize the situation in our country, I’m not sure, and I cannot accuse anyone without proof. Nonetheless, it puts our country in a difficult position. What I asked was: how long will the deadline be? From what I understood, I will have further talks with Ambassador Hill today, who will be briefed on the actions. We will have 30 days to assess the options and initiate action, and within 60 days, we must complete the process. They will officially announce the decision before the 15th, and by February 15, we must decide on our course of action.”
“Miloš (Vučević), you need to form two teams under a single command and your coordination. I will assist by negotiating with Putin. One team will handle gas supply negotiations to ensure we have enough gas, while the other team will focus on NIS. I know many have seen this as an opportunity without asking where the money will come from, thinking it’s time to seize something. I believe none of us should adopt the 1945 mentality of seizing property. I don’t think we should take Russian property. The last option, and I know that more than half the government favors it, should be hostile acquisition, only if we have no other way to survive. I share the concern—any disruptions in reserves would create chaos in the market, which we cannot allow. There are countless options we need to discuss.”
“I see this as a huge challenge, a significant problem for us, especially given the current geopolitical circumstances. It will bring numerous difficulties. Even if we agree to pay the Russians for their stake, that money will end up on the battlefield no matter how much we pay. I don’t understand the purpose of sanctions since the money will appear in Russia regardless. I cannot accept any solution without compensation—we are not thieves. I oppose the concept of seizing property through forced measures, as the West has done to Russians, only to apologize someday. I will speak with Putin around January 25 or 27, once I see what the talks with the American administration yield. You will be informed of the situation. Based on that, by February 15, we must make a decision. As for gas, both the Russians and Azerbaijanis are reliable partners for us. We currently have around 430 million cubic meters of gas in reserve, which is also crucial for electricity production.”
READ MORE:
Source: Kurir Photo: Petar Aleksić