Plenković: JANAF is not for sale; it is and will remain Croatian

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced that JANAF is ready to transport sufficient quantities of oil for refineries in Hungary and Slovakia and stressed that the price will be the subject of a commercial agreement with the MOL oil company. He stressed that it remains in Croatian ownership and that its sale is not a subject of negotiations.

The Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) did not receive a new postponement of Washington's sanctions imposed on the Russian energy sector. NIS is an extremely important JANAF partner because business with the Serbian company accounts for more than 30 percent of its revenue. NIS has been sanctioned because 56 percent of its ownership is made up of Russian companies linked to Gazprom.

Incidentally, the first round of talks between JANAF and MOL on oil deliveries ended yesterday. They point out that the Hungarians were offered the capacities they receive from the Russians, at a fair price.

'JANAF is not for sale; it is and will remain Croatian'

Speaking about the negotiations between JANAF and Hungarian MOL, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that they were held yesterday and that JANAF's readiness to transport sufficient quantities of oil for the needs of refineries in Hungary and Slovakia - up to 15 million tons of oil - was confirmed. He added that the price will be methodologically comparable to other oil pipelines and will depend on the amount of oil ordered and the duration of the contract.

“Last week, Croatia asked the European Commission to have representatives of the General Directorate for Energy present at a possible new attempt to test JANAF's capacities. They are fully prepared and can transport all the necessary oil, regardless of the amount,” he said.

Plenković also commented on media reports about the possible interest of Hungarian MOL in an ownership stake in Janaf.

“Since it was mentioned somewhere in the media that MOL is interested in an ownership stake in Janaf, we emphasize once again: the Adriatic oil pipeline is not for sale. It is and will remain Croatian. We want to have good commercial cooperation, good prices and a good supply of oil, but as far as ownership is concerned, that topic is not even on the table,” said Plenković.

About the continuation of cooperation between JANAF and the refinery in Pančevo

Plenković recalled that as of today the US sanctions aimed at the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS), which is majority owned by Russian companies, are in force. Because of this, the Adriatic Pipeline is unable to transport crude oil to the refinery in Pančevo, which was possible until now.

Plenković said that he hopes for a solution that will enable the continuation of cooperation and the supply of oil to Pančevo, reminding that Janaf is the only oil pipeline that supplies that refinery and that Croatia played an important role in its work.

“It is known that the Adriatic pipeline is the only route that supplies the refinery in Pančevo with oil, and on that side, Croatia played an important role in enabling the activity and operation of that refinery,” he added.

"Peace to Israel, and a state to the Palestinians"

Plenković singled out the importance of achieving a ceasefire and a truce in Gaza.

“We welcome US President Trump's plan to end the war and call on Israel and, of course, everyone on the Palestinian side to end the violence, to release the hostages, to lay down the weapons, to stop the fighting without delay and to start a comprehensive peace plan after that, which will also include the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons,” Plenković said.

He emphasized that a truce is necessary to allow the withdrawal of Israeli troops and to stop civilian casualties.

“After that, what Croatia has been advocating for years should be reached - a comprehensive solution that will provide Israel with peace and the Palestinians with a state. On that track, we will continue, together with partners in the international community, to make our contribution to these efforts,” he said.

The Prime Minister once again expressed his condolences to the families of the three Croatian mountaineers who died in an avalanche in the Slovenian Alps. He thanked everyone involved in the rescue operation for their quick reaction. He also recalled the commemoration of the 34th anniversary of the rocket attack on Banske dvori, which, as he said, was the "last straw" before the decision to sever state and legal ties with Yugoslavia. He also recalled that the last section of the A5 highway on the Croatian part of the 5C corridor, from Beli Manastir to the Hungarian border, has been opened.

Source: HRT