Vucic: I Believe EU Will Support Serbia in Facing Fuel Supply Challenges

Aleksandar Vucic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Following his Dec. 10 working dinner in Brussels with top EU officials, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed his belief that the Union will support Serbia in dealing with the issue of procuring enough fuel amid the U.S. sanctions imposed against Serbian oil and gas multinational Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS).

Speaking to Serbian journalists after the dinner – hosted by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa – Vucic said he is “genuinely happy with the direction and tone” of the talks he had with the two officials, particularly with regards to Serbia’s energy industry.

“The conversation was pleasant, we had a substantive discussion. We are very good acquaintances and understand each other excellently, even when we disagree. Our talks included where, how and a how much [oil] derivatives we can import, from Bulgaria and Romania, where we should build new natural gas pipelines… We discussed it in detail. I’m not as concerned over natural gas [procurement] as I am over oil. We sought solutions and I believe we will have the EU’s support in these important matters,” the president said.

According to him, the conversation also dealt with the opening of Cluster 3 (Competitiveness and inclusive growth) in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, but Vucic made it clear he had “nothing new to say” on the matter.

Vucic told the press he presented Von der Leyen and Costa with his proposal for the entire Western Balkans to be admitted to the EU at the same time, an idea they “politely listened to” although did not comment on.