Vuciq: From Tuesday, NIS refinery will no longer work

Vuciq told TV Informer that “does not understand US logic and tactic” regarding NIS, nor why does this company extend permission to work, although the Serbian state has provided guarantees that by the time set by the US will be changed ownership in that company, which is under US sanctions due to Russian ownership, Periscope.

Serbia had earlier asked the United States to approve the NIS work license, while negotiations are under US sanctions on changing ownership in the company.

He stressed that they have broadcast to the US that they respect their sanctions and that they have realised that it is necessary to change ownership in NIS, as well as that this will happen within 50 days, and that the Serbian state provides guarantees that this will happen after the deadline expires.

Vucic said the US told them the sanctions had warned them since eight months ago.

US sanctions on NIS went into effect on 9 October and are part of an American administration effort to prevent Russia from using energy revenues for the war in Ukraine. These sanctions had been postponed eight times earlier.

Vuciq reiterated that Serbia is not the main owner of the company and that it cannot decide on behalf of the Russians what it will do with it.

He recalled that Serbia had only the right to prioritize NIS minority shareholder and that it gave up this right to let the Russians do it “at their option, because this is the “right” when someone should sell under pressure, and sanctions are imposed on the outside.

NIS is mainly in Russian companies' ownership, while Serbia has 29.87 per cent of shares, and the rest is in the hands of smaller heeders.

Vuciq said he is almost certain that US President Donald Trump does not know the details, but that they know many senior officials in the State Department and that this obviously is the policy they support.

The Serbian leader said he had tried and was sure Americans would make a positive decision after Thanksgiving, which was Thursday, but that did not happen, and now he does not expect that.

We must now prepare and do our job to secure the country. This is where we're all going to be dragged and demanded that we be in their camp, no one will allow us to be neutral and to deal with our affairs”, Vuciq said.

He added that with Russians “there is not much rush for them more important is that their ownership stay as long as possible” and added that Serbia is in “a very difficult situation”, but that it will resolve “.

He also mentioned that Serbia has a gas deal with Russia by January 1st, and that it will try to discuss once again its extension with the Russians, “and that if that doesn't happen, we will go to the others”.

“We will fight and try to maintain where we can friendly relations, and where it can, partnership relationship”, he stressed.

For decades, Serbia is dependent on Russian gas, which provides more than 80 percent of its energy needs, but the state does not have a long-term contract with Russia for gas supplies to this emergency, and there is no long-term contract with Russia on gas supply. / REL