Pancevo REFINERY TO SHUT DOWN TOMORROW: Vucic announces URGENT meeting regarding NIS

Photo: Tanjug/RADE PRELIC, Shutterstock

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced that today, on December 1, a key meeting regarding NIS will be held. Whether the NIS operating license will be extended and whether the Pancevo refinery will continue to operate depends on the decisions of the US State Department and OFAC.

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Vucic pointed out yesterday that he is in touch with both Russian and US officials.

"We pleaded with them to find a solution that would be natural and normal," he said, adding that the situation is "not easy".

The president stressed that the Americans and the Russians "are not in much of a hurry", but that (Serbian) citizens have no reason to panic. Vucic announced that he will continue talks with the Americans, warning that failure to find a solution for NIS could cause major problems in the banking sector.

Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic recently said that the NIS refinery in Pancevo will remain in the hot circulation regime until December 2, while waiting for a response from Washington regarding the extension of the operating license.

If the answer is positive, the refinery could produce diesel again on December 15, which is in line with previous plans and NIS's reserves.

Djedovic Handanovic pointed out at the time that the plan to import oil derivatives for December has significantly increased: a total of 133,000 tons, of which 103,000 tons of diesel and 26,000 tons of petrol. Most of the imports are carried out via the Danube, and the situation is monitored daily.

The minister added that additional measures are being taken to improve logistics in cooperation with shipping companies, in order to make the system as efficient as possible.

(Telegraf Biznis)