Serbia calls for Hungarian help
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Even though it is not a member of the EU, Serbia is still seriously affected by the EU sanctions against Russia. That is because it could indirectly find itself in a situation where its oil imports are blocked. Thus, the country’s leadership is trying to ease Serbia’s 100 percent dependence on oil and gas from Russian sources. In this, the energy cooperation that has started between Hungary and Serbia could play a major role.
The country is in a tight spot because it is vulnerable to the indirect impact of EU sanctions against Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in an interview with the Financial Times, described a number of initiatives to end Serbia’s dependence on Russian energy. Among these, energy cooperation with Hungary could play a prominent role, napi.hu writes.
“It’s crazy that we didn’t think about the regional interconnection of energy infrastructure before,” said the Serbian head of state, “we didn’t prepare for the war in Europe, which will change everything.” In recent years, Serbia has imported all its gas and half of its oil from Russia. Now, however, it is the case that, due to the entry into force of the EU oil import embargo, from December, oil from Russian sources cannot be shipped from Croatia to Serbia.
Wow. Another country without an Energy Plan B.
From the Financial Times:
“Moscow’s acquisition of Serbian gas storage and oil refinery operators and Belgrade’s more recent failure to secure long-term alternative supplies have left the landlocked country exposed as the EU targeted Russian energy after its invasion of Ukraine. In recent years Serbia has imported all of its gas and up to half of its oil from Russia”
I”NIS ((the Serbian oil company with Russia’s Gazpromneftpart as majority owner) can operate normally because its refineries have been retooled to handle oil from Iraq” this is interesting because MOL / our Politicians have insisted this retooling is pretty nigh impossible.