The France-Presse agency writes that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó today in Belgrade announced an increase in the export of oil derivatives to Serbia “in anticipation of the closure of the only refinery of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia, which is under US sanctions due to its majority Russian ownership.”
France-Presse reminds that while Belgrade “is trying to avoid a winter energy crisis after the long-delayed entry into force of US sanctions… the Serbian authorities are increasingly and more openly talking about the possible nationalization of NIS, although they initially rejected this option due to the close ties between Serbia and Moscow.”
AFP reports that NIS announced on Tuesday that without the supply of crude oil, the refinery in Pančevo would be forced to completely shut down before the end of this week, and that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that NIS had created sufficient reserves of derivatives “to last until the end of the year, with additional state-held reserves.”
Vučić, France-Presse reports, gave 50 days to Russian shareholders and a potential buyer, among whom candidates from Hungary and the Emirates are included, to reach an agreement to satisfy the US request for the withdrawal of Russian capital from NIS, but “Serbian authorities also mention a draft law that would allow the state to take control of NIS if necessary.”
The agency notes that NIS requested a temporary delay of the US sanctions last week while negotiations continue, but that Washington has not yet responded.
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Source: Danas; Photo: Naftna Industrija Srbije