Refinery NIS-a is located in the technological process of hot circulation. It's not shut down yet, but it will be in four days unless the US government renews its crude oil supply license. And if that happens, it will take several weeks to start again, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at a media conference that started on Tuesday at 11:05 a.m.
He then presented an apocalyptic scenario of what will happen to Serbia if no solution is found for the NIS, which is under American sanctions - from rising prices and inflation, to heating problems, to the suspension of payment transactions and the impossibility of pension payments.
If the Americans do not relent and do not grant a temporary license to NIS by Thursday, so there is no oil inflow, NIS reserves of 55.000 tons of diesel and 50.000 tons of gasoline remain, which is enough for their retail network until sometime on December 28.
But that is why the state is ready to react from its reserves so that there is no shortage of fuel - with over 185.000 tons of diesel that will be made available to all wholesalers, just like over 19.000 tons of gasoline. There is enough fuel oil, said Vučić, over 68.000 tons, which is "enough for a year's work".
An additional 35.000 tons of Eurodiesel, 38.000 tons of gasoline, 20.000 tons of diesel and 5.300 tons of kerosene were ordered and will arrive in Serbia during December and January.
And the president will talk with the officials of North Macedonia and Hungary regarding the import of the necessary fuel.
NIS: "Preparations are beginning for the suspension of work at the Pancevo refinery"
The Russians still have 50 days to find a buyer for NIS
Then Vučić blamed the opposition for everything that is happening now because it sold NIS to the Russians under unfavorable conditions. Although he admitted that the Refinery was bombed in 1999 and that the Russians modernized it and invested a lot.
Then the President of Serbia said that since the introduction of American sanctions at the beginning of the year, Serbia has "literally" done everything to help the Russian investor and that not a single problem will befall him. The state of Serbia did everything from top level and signed everything that the Russians asked of it. So they received additional guarantees from the Serbian state regarding compliance with American sanctions.
At the crisis meeting of the Government on Monday, there was a proposal to nationalize NIS immediately, but his proposal, Vučić's, was adopted: to give the Russian side another 50 days to find a buyer for NIS. The government unanimously adopted what he proposed.
The explanation of the President of Serbia was very confused, his thoughts were running away, he jumped from topic to topic and got angry at everything alive until he finally explained what his proposal was.
We would have liked if the Russians had first offered Serbia to buy their shares in NIS, said Vučić, but they obviously did not want to. Why, he did not explain.
After 50 days, the Serbian administration in NIS
We are ready to suffer all the consequences for the next 50 days, said Vučić. After that, we won't have any other option, our country will literally disappear, if no solution is found.
But if after that there is no sales contract between the Russians and a potential buyer, we have no choice but to introduce our management in NIS and "offer and pay the highest possible price" to the Russians, said Vučić.
He did not explain why he wants Serbia to pay the highest possible price instead of the lowest price.
Sanctions to NIS: Serbia between Vučić's and Russian interests
Nor did he explain why it would not be in the best interest of Serbia to nationalize NIS under these circumstances or immediately place it under state administration.
This was followed by a strange address directly to the Americans, to whom he complained that they were not fair in not renewing the license to NIS, and he personally gave me his word that Serbia would comply with their sanctions.
If before his public address the probability that the Americans would not extend the operating license to NIS was 60 percent, then after it it is 50 percent, said Vučić.
Then he asked the cameramen to be properly dressed so that they would not be kicked out of the Presidency in the future.
This was followed by a tirade about the evil N1 and the wonderful Ćaciland and the fact that the police always protected the violent blockaders, after the N1 journalist asked Vučić to comment on the attack on their team.
And then at the end, journalist Pinka asked him about Djilas' statement that he was a "mouse", about Kosovo and the "Sarajevo-safari".
NBS: We are suspending payment transactions with NIS if it does not get a license
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