Serbia and NIS Ready to Import Non-Russian Oil

The minister of mining and energy of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlovic, stated today that Serbia and Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) had prepared to import non-Russian oil.

– It doesn’t matter whether Serbia should have been exempt from the ban on the import of Russian oil in the eight package of sanctions of the EU toward Russia and whether somebody made it impossible, because we didn’t even count on having Russian oil from November 1 – she told the press at the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia when asked about the media reports that Croatia, along with some other EU member states, had allegedly prevented the exemption of Serbia from the ban on the import of Russian oil in the eight sanction package.

As she pointed out, “it was known in May that, with that sanction package, Serbia would not be able to import Russian oil from November, which is why already then we imported some Russian oil, some from other sources, and 20% was the Serbian ‘Velebit’ oil, and the procurement depended on the price”.

– For months now, NIS has been preparing to import non-Russian oil 80%, and 20% will be the processed Serbian “Velebit” oil, among the best quality ones in the world – Mihajlovic said.

When asked by the press whether NIS would procure Saudi oil, she said that it would depend on the price.

– To us, it’s important to procure light oil, which has a lot less sulfur and from which a lot more diesel fuel and petrol can be extracted, but our refinery is fantastic, modern, where we can mix light oil even with our heavy “Velebit” oil – the minister clarified.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Privredna komora Srbije

NIS a.d. Novi Sad

Ministry of Mining and Energy

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

CCIS

Naftna Industrija Srbije

NIS

Zorana Mihajlovic

import of oil

eighth package of EU sanctions against Russia

ban on import of Russian oil

Serbian oil Velebit

Velebit oil

Velebit

light oil

heavy oil

production of diesel fuel

production of petrol