Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic stated that Serbia will do everything possible to protect its interests amid U. S. sanctions against the Russia-owned oil company NIS. These sanctions, introduced in January due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, impact NIS, Serbia’s largest oil importer. Although there were delays in enforcement, NIS confirmed that no further postponement will occur.
Vucic mentioned that both Serbia and its Russian partners have communicated their interests clearly and emphasized that Serbia will act strategically to secure its energy needs. He assured that there will be no shortages of crude oil or energy crises.
Following U. S. sanctions, the JANAF oil pipeline from Croatia has stopped supplies to NIS. This poses a risk to NIS’s operations, which account for about 80% of Serbia’s oil products, beyond November 1. Moreover, some fuel retailers, including Slovenia’s Petrol, have ceased sourcing from NIS, while other companies are diversifying their supply lines. Hungary’s MOL has committed to increasing oil deliveries to Serbia.
With information from Reuters