• Friday, 28 June 2024

Serbia to build oil pipeline to Hungary, oil and gas pipeline to N. Macedonia also planned, says Vucic 

Serbia to build oil pipeline to Hungary, oil and gas pipeline to N. Macedonia also planned, says Vucic 
Belgrade, 8 October 2022 (MIA) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced Serbia plans on also building an oil pipeline via North Macedonia up to the Durres port as well as gas pipeline connection with the country, MIA's Belgrade correspondent said. In Saturday's address in relation to the global energy crisis, Vucic said that following the latest developments in connection to EU's sanctions against Russia - with which Croatia, as he said, has proven itself as an unreliable partner over the Janaf oil pipeline, the only oil pipeline providing Serbia with oil - Belgrade has made a decision to start constructing an oil pipeline toward Hungary with a construction of oil pipeline "with the Open Balkan friends" also in the works. "We have to start diversifying oil sources," the Serbian leader stressed. According to him, in line with an agreement already reached by him and Hungarian PM Victor Orban, Serbia will start construction of a 128-km oil pipeline from Novi Said to Hungary's Alza, which could cost up to EUR 100 million. It will take somewhere between 18 and 24 months to build the oil pipeline. "We intend on building an oil pipeline leading up to North Macedonia and the port in Durres, Albania, in order to establish an oil pipeline network across our country. We'll launch talks with our partners," said Vucic. Referring to gas networking and diversification of gas sources, the Serbian president announced plans for a gas pipeline with North Macedonia, which has been already included in the EU's financing plans. Serbia, Vucic stressed, has oil reserves for 75 days, fuel reserves for 59 days and full gas reserve capacities. "Serbia will be providing gas in different ways; we will buy Iraqi oil, which is about 20 percent more expensive and we'll deliver it through the Janaf oil pipeline," President Vucic said adding that he had ordered that 20 percent of what was manufactured in the plants across Serbia remain there for the armed forces and that yet another 12 billion would be invested in infrastructure.