Kosovo-based countries supplied with oil

As Kosovo has no refinery of its own, economic operators import about 650 million litres of these derivatives within a year. Over 60 million liters are imported from Serbia, over 133 million from Greece and over 25 million litres in Bulgaria.

Representatives of the Association of Oilmen of Kosovo claim this. Ramadan Maloku of this association told Radio Free Europe that a large percentage of oil is imported from Serbia and Bulgaria, but in fact, according to him, the origin of goods is from Russia.

“is imported through the state of Bulgaria and the state of Serbia. It means every day there are imports that enter the northern part, then through the point in Medare and the White End. It is known that some Balkan countries have reports with the state of Russia, so it is of Russian origin. Although they change the origin that it's from Russia and Bulgaria, but it's actually from Russia”, Maloku says.

But some of the owners who import oil derivatives from Serbia say they don't care where the first subject comes from. According to them, the convenient price and quality of the product are the reasons why they import oil through these countries.

Cameron Bucaliu, owner of the company “Hib Petrol” says territorial proximity affects importing oil from neighbouring states and those in the region.

We import oil from many countries in the region, from Greece's refinery, the Pancevo refinery in Serbia and Bulgaria, because we are not allowed access to more distant countries, so we import from the nearest countries. We don't care about the refinery, but we care about quality and price”, Bucaliu says.

And the other company. E XFIS, imports of oil from Greece. The owner of this company, Remzi Muharremi, points out that in the Kosovo market there are large quantities of oil from Serbia, but that the operator “Exfis” due to quality, he says, imports oil only from Greece, meanwhile, secures it from the Pancevo refinery in Serbia.

“We are exclusive importer of gasoline from Greece, as we consider it better, more quality, but it is much more expensive than this product coming from Serbia”, Muharremi says.

On the other hand, Lulzim Syla, chief market inspector under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, says competent for controlling oil quality at the border is Kosovo Customs, while the Ministry of Trade and Industry Inspectorate is competent for monitoring oil quality within the Kosovo market.

He says this inspection body, constantly controls the market for eventual irregularities.

“Taking samples to Kosovo's domestic market. We have never encountered product origin from Russia, but from Serbia. After making a decision, the Government of Kosovo has imposed embargo on Russia's Federation”, Syla says.

However, Syla says that for the northern part of Kosovo, where three companies taken in oil derivatives operate, there is no information about where they are supplied.

I made another report and sent it to Brussels. There are three points and we have no access to them. I contacted them because I was in the northern part of Kosovo myself, I saw them, but we couldn't do anything”, says Syla.

The approach of Kosovo's institutions in the northern Serb-run majority is limited due to the semi-parlel functioning of the Government in Pristina of these municipalities, and their proximity to Serbia, which exercises political influence and control in that part.

The operation of the company ão Petrolʹ, in northern Kosovo, is estimated to constitute violations of Kosovo's embargo on the Russian Federation. Nish Petrolʹ, is owned by the Russian company Gazprom Neftu, which is on the list of Kosovo banned companies.

The Kosovo government in 2014 had imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation. A number of companies and persons specifically banned from business in Kosovo were listed in the Kosovo Government's decision.