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Croatia informed EC about readiness to supply oil to Hungary, Slovakia

"The operator of the Adriatic oil pipeline (JANAF) is ready as a company to hold negotiations with [Hungarian energy holding] MOL on issues of logistics and provision of energy security in changed conditions," Croatia's PM Andrej Plenkovic said

© AP Photo/ Darko Bandic

BELGRADE, August 1. /TASS/. Croatia formally notified the European Commission (EC), Hungary and Slovakia about readiness to provide the two countries with oil via the Adriatic oil pipeline JANAF, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic said at the Cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister noted that he had sent relevant letters to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, and Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico.

"The operator of the Adriatic oil pipeline (JANAF) is ready as a company to hold negotiations with [Hungarian energy holding] MOL on issues of logistics and provision of energy security in changed conditions," the Prime Minister said, cited by the Jutarnji List news outlet.

The letter was sent on Wednesday "in the context of the Ukrainian decision to suspend transit of oil of the Russian company Lukoil via its territory," Plenkovic said. Croatia and JANAF are ready to provide Hungarian and Slovakian refineries with feedstock totaling more than 14 mln metric tons, the prime minister stressed. Supplies are anticipated to be made via the pipeline connecting the Omisalj port terminal on the Krk Island in the Adriatic Sea with the territory of Hungary.

On July 17, Ukraine unilaterally blocked oil supplies via the Druzhba oil pipeline under the pretext of sanctions against Russian oil producer Lukoil. Slovakia and Hungary demanded an immediate start of consultations with Ukraine with the mediation of the European Commission. The latter has not taken any measures on this situation thus far.

EC refused to hold urgent consultations on oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia being blocked by Kiev, spokesman of the Commission Balazs Ujvari said at a briefing in Brussels earlier today. The European Commission confirmed that it had concluded preliminarily that there was no immediate threat to EU energy security and therefore did not consider that urgent consultations are required, the spokesman said.

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