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The Secretary General of the Serbian Committee of the World Energy Council, Miodrag Mesarović, believes that the eighth package of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation does not exclude the possibility of the announced construction of an oil pipeline between Serbia and Hungary.
The warnings coming from the European Commission that EU member states cannot re-export Russian oil to third countries are not part of that package of sanctions.
“This is an attempt to change the official document, which is the decision to introduce the eighth package of sanctions, which refers to Russian oil delivered by sea and does not apply to land transport, including the Druzhba oil pipeline.” If we stick to the eighth package, it shouldn’t affect us”, said Mesarovic.
He assessed that the construction of an oil pipeline to Hungary would not be in vain and cited the example of the existing oil pipeline through Croatia.
“Take for example how long this JANAF has been operating.” Therefore, that oil pipeline to Hungary would not be a failed investment. A new oil pipeline should be built and not only that, the network of oil pipelines, as well as gas pipelines, as well as the electricity transmission network, should be expanded to obtain as many interconnections as possible, in order to ensure energy supply from different directions,” Mesarović said.
He emphasized that around 100 million euros, which would be the cost of building a 128-kilometer long gas pipeline to Hungary, would pay off quickly, because transporting oil through pipes is the cheapest way to deliver that energy.
Mesarović believes that Serbia cannot suddenly be threatened by some possible new measures to interrupt oil supply, because there are oil reserves for 90 days, as well as two-month reserves of oil derivatives with derivatives traders.
He estimates that the eighth package of EU sanctions against Russia will not be the last that the Union will pass.
Mesarović says that EU politicians are fighting for the next mandate and that’s why they are constantly “hitting the balls” to other countries, especially to us who have the intention of moving towards the EU. He explained that it refers to Brussels’ insistence on implementing a green transition, which the EU member states themselves are trying to avoid.
Mesarović assessed that the eventual creation of a gas hub in Turkey , which was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, would be good for Serbia , because it would have a more secure supply of gas, because another direction would be opened where gas would be collected from Russia, the former southern republic of the USSR and from the Eastern Mediterranean, reports Tanjug.
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