Before yesterday, close countries, whose regimes worked closely and helped each other closely, Serbia and Hungary, started to publish clear indicators of mutual disagreements in the media. The dispute arose over the Oil Industry of Serbia, and the background of the conflict is likely change of government in Hungary, because he left the face of the earth Viktor Orban, a political friend of Aleksandar Vučić.
First, the general director of the MOL group, Zholt Hernadi, commented on the intention of MOL to market NIS, although the topic was the company's financial results in the previous period, not future investments.
"Our goal has always been to build a security of supply ecosystem in Central and Southeastern Europe where synergies between refineries and energy infrastructure will be exploited to the maximum," Hernadi said. "The recently commissioned delayed coking unit in Rijeka, the largest investment in the history of our Croatian company INA, as well as the intention to buy NIS, are the best examples of our long-term commitment to the region and taking responsibility for each country."
Will the Serbian refinery end up like the Croatian one?
By mentioning the "synergy between the refineries", Hernadi referred to the refinery that MOL already has in Croatia. Namely, taking over the ownership of NIS would not be new for MOL, because it previously took over the management of state-owned oil companies in Croatia (INA) and Slovakia (Slovnaft). However, the cooperation between the Croats and the Hungarians did not turn out very well.
After the sale of INA in 2016, there was criticism in Croatia, as many experts assessed that the deal was contracted at a multiple lower price than the real one, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković widely announced that INA would be returned to Croatian ownership, but that did not happen.
After the takeover, the oil refinery in Sisak, once the main plant for the production of derivatives in Croatia, was closed. The Serbian side is obviously afraid of that, and according to the statements of Aleksandar Vučić and other members of the Government, the Hungarians were planning something similar.
Vučić accused MOL of inventing Mimović
Vučić said the day after Hernadi's address that the Hungarian company MOL, if it wants to buy the Russian share in the Oil Industry of Serbia, will have to keep the refinery in Pancevo open.
"Why would MOL keep a refinery open in Serbia? It has a refinery in Bratislava and Budapest. Why would it keep it open in Serbia, too? It wouldn't, but it will have to keep it open if it wants to buy," said Vučić.
According to him, Serbia stands "hard and firm, and bravely protects its interests". He also commented on the offer Ranko Mimović of two billion euros for NIS, and as it turned out that the aforementioned was probably not a valid buyer, Vučić openly accused MOL of this conspiracy.
"We said it can't be done. They invented some businessman to prolong everything for another three or four months, we said it can't be done. Either you will buy it now, or we will solve it differently," said Vučić.
NIS: What is the connection between the closing of the refinery in Pancevo and the obscene offer of Ranko Mimović
Energy and political experts in the country, on the other hand, saw the creator of this media duck rather in the previous Hungarian regime, which was driven out of power by the citizens, or in the existing Serbian one.
The failure of the MOL and NIS deals would suit Viktor Orban, especially if it suits the Russians, and his close relations with Vladimir Putin are known. It is also known that NIS is not sold to the Russians without an immediate need, and that they would certainly not sell it to a party they do not trust.
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