Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced that the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) refinery in Pancevo will no longer operate as of Tuesday. Vučić added that Serbia will have to find “ways to manage the situation.”
The Serbian president also stated that he will try to hold additional talks with American representatives, but expressed pessimism that anything will change in this regard and as a result the refinery should be closed on Tuesday, Serbian media report.
The Serbian president previously told a Serbian television station that he "does not understand the logic and tactics" of the US as to why this company's work permit is not being extended, despite the fact that the Serbian state has given guarantees that by the deadline set by the US, the ownership of that company, which is under US sanctions due to Russian ownership, will be changed.
"I can't understand what the Americans are doing now, I'm telling you frankly, I don't understand their logic," he declared.
Vučić said that they have informed the US that they respect their sanctions and that it is necessary to change the ownership of NIS, but that this will happen within 50 days, for which he said he has given guarantees, but he quoted the US as having warned them of these sanctions eight or nine months ago.
The Serbian president reiterated that Serbia is not the main owner of the company and that it cannot decide on behalf of the Russians what to do with it.
