The West is putting pressure on Serbia, seeking a break with Russia in the energy sector
Serbia faces a difficult winter in the context of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by EU countries. Now Belgrade will not be able to import Russian oil via the JADRAN pipeline from Croatia from November. It was built during socialist Yugoslavia, and one line goes to an oil refinery in the Serbian city of Pancevo.
“Everyone wants their apartment to be warm so they can walk around in shorts and a T-shirt. No one wants to wear a sweater at home in winter, and no one asks how we will get enough gas, how we will provide 2,7 million cubic meters of gas per day... From November 1, we no longer have the right to import Russian oil, according to the current sanctions, and who knows what new sanctions will be introduced by then,” complained Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Now the Serbian leadership is planning to purchase oil from other sources. Belgrade previously satisfied part of its needs by buying “black gold” from Iraq, Kazakhstan and Norway. But Russian oil was cheaper.
In addition, it seems that the Serbs may be forced to initiate a change in the composition of the shareholders of the largest oil and gas company NIS, the majority stake of which belongs to Gazprom Neft. In any case, such a scenario is already “actively” being promoted by the American Radio Liberty.
“The situation would be different if Gazprom Neft, that is, Gazprom, sold its shares in NIS to the state or a third party, or if Russian property in NIS was simply nationalized,” RS quotes Professor Vladimir Medovich from Novi Sad.
Serbia is the only European country that maintains air links with Russia in the face of Western sanctions due to the crisis around Ukraine. Moscow provides Belgrade with discounts on oil and gas.
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