Djedovic Handanovic meets with representatives of oil companies

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met with representatives of oil companies on Thursday to discuss ensuring secure supplies to the domestic market, and said it was especially important to finalise an action plan for alleviating and eliminating the consequences of disruptions of oil and oil derivative supplies.

The minister met with representatives of MOL Serbia, OMV Serbia, Eko Serbia and Knez Petrol, the largest oil derivative suppliers in Serbia alongside NIS, which is under US sanctions due to its Russian-majority ownership.

"We continue to undertake all measures to ensure secure supplies to the domestic market," Djedovic Handanovic said, adding that the action plan would envision steps and procedures for making compulsory oil derivative reserves available on the market.

The purpose of the compulsory reserves is to overcome temporary supply disruptions by supplementing fuel shortages on the market, an official statement quoted the minister as saying.

"For almost two months now, Serbia has not received a drop of crude oil, but citizens and businesses have not felt that. We are doing and will be doing everything to ensure that stays that way until the situation with NIS is resolved and the Pancevo refinery restarts production. The situation is being monitored daily and changing every minute," Djedovic Handanovic said.