European Union flags outside the EU headquarters in Brussels. File photoBELGRADE, Mar 19The new energy sanctions of the EU Council prohibit the import of oil and chemicals to Serbia for its processing, since the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) and the Pancevo refinery are owned by the state and the Russian Gazprom Neft, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on TV PRVA. On Wednesday, Vučić said that the new measures taken by the EU Council regarding the energy sector of the Russian Federation do not harm the interests of Russia or the European Union, but Serbia. According to the Serbian leader, the Europeans left themselves the opportunity to work with Gazprom Neft on their territory, import from Russia, but third countries where oil refineries or companies are owned by Russians will not be able to export and import oil.
"The decision of the EU Council is very difficult, strange for us, we are looking for ways out. Today, people from my office held a video conference with partners from the EU. And this does not only apply to oil imports, we do not have our own oil … This also applies to the supply of chemicals that are needed for an oil refinery (Pancevo Oil Refinery — ed.). We no longer have the right to do so, because the company (NIS, 65.15% owned by "Gazprom Neft" — ed.) is predominantly Russian-owned", Vucic said.
» We must deal with whether we will have chemicals that we use in the refinery, since its majority owner is Russia.In 2008, we sold NIS to Gazprom Neft, which is state-owned.We import crude oil, from 20 thousand tons, we produce 10 thousand tons of diesel, 3.7 thousand tons of gasoline, but this requires spare parts, chemicals, and according to this decision of the EU Council, we will not be able to import them, perhaps as early as May 15,» the Serbian president specified. According to him, the Serbian authorities are still trying to fill all the storage facilities in the country with oil.