Gas station (Pixabay)
American sanctions against NIS (Serbian Oil Industry) are not directed against the Serbian people, but intended to exert financial pressure on Russia so that it would end the war in Russia, the charge d’affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Serbia, Alexander Titolo, stated on Oct. 9.
He said in the interview to the Blic daily that Serbia should take steps to remove the Russian stake from NIS, take control of the key energy resources and accomplish greater energy independence.
The U.S., he added, is ready to cooperate with Belgrade on diversifying its energy sector and reducing dependence on unreliable suppliers. He stated that income from NIS financed the Kremlin’s war machine and that Russia could solve the situation “tomorrow, if it only agreed to sell its share in NIS at a fair price.”
“Russian ownership and control of the NIS company is damaging for Serbia, too, because this undermines its abilities to diversify its energy sector, accomplish energy independence and give an opportunity to the most efficient and advanced companies to compete in improving its energy sector. This is, therefore, an obstacle to economic possibilities and growth,” he added.
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