ĐOKIĆ: THE SUPPLY OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE DISRUPTED

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 28 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Energy and Mining of Republika Srpska, Petar Đokić, stated that there will be no disruption in the supply of oil products in Republika Srpska if the Pančevo Oil Refinery halts production next week.

After a meeting with representatives of oil and oil product distributors in Republika Srpska, Đokić told reporters that it was jointly assessed that distributors, through their internal organization, have ensured the supply of liquid fuels. “They have previously had multiple supply routes, so they were not reliant solely on oil from Serbia, but also secured supplies from other oil companies. This is crucial information for us, and that is why I want to assure citizens that there is no need for concern,” Đokić said. He noted that some transport-related issues could arise, resulting in increased costs, as alternative supply destinations may be farther from Serbia. Đokić described today’s meeting as very productive, noting that discussions also focused on the joint development and maintenance of this sector to ensure that it remains successful and profitable. Milovan Bajić, director of the company “Krajinapetrol,” confirmed that he does not expect any significant disruption in supply and expressed hope that the situation in Serbia will be resolved. “We are largely dependent on Serbia, and since there are no refineries in BiH, we rely entirely on imports. Regarding transport, certain problems may arise, and we might have to pay a bit more for it,” Bajić said. Speaking about fuel prices, he noted that this situation could affect price increases, but that price formation depends on multiple factors, primarily global trends. The meeting was also attended by Đorđe Savić, the president of the Oil and Oil Derivatives Trade Group, Saša Ćejić, advisor to the director of Superpetrol, and Dragan Trišić, manager at Optima Group. Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, stated today that a response from Washington regarding whether the Petroleum Industry of Serbia will receive a license to continue operations is expected overnight or next week, and that the Pančevo Oil Refinery will remain in the warm circulation phase until Tuesday, December 2.