The EU has abandoned sanctions against Serbia - the country will be able to receive Russian oil
Jadranski naftovod (JANAF) announced today that it will continue normal oil supplies to the Serbian oil industry in accordance with the contract concluded with the Russian-Serbian company Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS).
“The Council Regulation (EU) of 8 April 2022 on restrictive measures against Russian actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine allowed the continuation of the implementation of the Crude Oil Transport Agreement that JANAF concluded with NIS for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2022” , the company said in a statement, Tanjug reports.
This agreement reserved the pipeline's transport capacity in a total volume of 3,2 million tons plus or minus 10 percent, and after May 15, in accordance with the conditions stipulated by the said Regulation, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
JANAF will continue to monitor developments on a daily basis, as well as the measures taken by the Croatian government, the EU and the competent authorities, the announcement adds.
According to the EU decree, Serbia is exempt from the package of restrictive measures of Brussels that relate to the import of oil and gas from Russia.
The Russian company Gazprom Neft owns 56,15% of NIS's authorized capital, while the Serbian state owns a 29,87% share. JANAF also said on Friday that it had signed a contract with the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency to store 20 cubic meters of diesel and 000 cubic meters of unleaded gasoline at the Omisalj terminal on the island of Krk from July 20 to December 000, as well as a deal with local company Delta Oil International for storage of 1 cubic meters of crude oil in Omišalj from April 31 to August 169.
Since the start of the military special operation in Ukraine, official Belgrade has been under constant pressure from the West. According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, he is being blackmailed by blocking energy supplies and problems with the country's accession to the EU.
In particular, on the eve of the vote in the UN Security Council on the expulsion of Russia from the Human Rights Council, the topic of threats was a ban on oil supplies from Croatia to the NIS. The European Commission demanded to stop pumping oil through the JANAF oil pipeline by May 15, 2022. As a result, at the meeting, the representative of Serbia supported the exclusion of Russia from this organization.
The EU has lifted sanctions against Serbia, allowing the country to receive Russian oil.