According to Russia's spy agency, Serbia sold ammunition via Bulgaria and Czech Republic to Ukraine
Russia accused Serbia of selling artillery to Ukraine via Eastern Europe through intermediaries, the second time in a week that it has made such an accusation against its traditional Balkan allie. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency, SVR, posted a statement on its website in which it said that two Serbian companies had sold rockets or mortar shells to multiple rocket launchers, as well as components for these rockets, via two companies located in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Both Bulgaria and Czech Republic are members of NATO and the European Union and provide weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
EU selects 13 new projects for critical materials, including Greenland
The European Union announced Wednesday 13 new raw materials projects outside of the bloc in order to increase its supply of metals, minerals and other essential elements for the EU to remain competitive in energy transition and defence and aerospace. This announcement comes after China decided in April to restrict exports of rare earth magnets unless new licenses were obtained. Diplomats, carmakers, and other companies, from Europe and beyond, are scrambling for meetings with Beijing officials to avoid factory closures.
EU selects 13 new projects for critical materials, including Greenland
The European Commission announced on Wednesday 13 new raw materials projects outside of the EU to increase its supply of metals, minerals and other essential elements for the bloc's competitiveness in energy transition and defence and aerospace. After China announced in April that it would restrict exports of rare earth magnets unless new licenses were obtained, the EU made its announcement. Diplomats, carmakers, and other executives, from Europe and beyond, are now left with no choice but to accept this decision. To secure meetings with Beijing officials in order to avoid factory closures.
EU selects 13 new projects for critical materials, including Greenland
The European Commission announced on Wednesday 13 new raw materials projects outside of the EU to increase its supply of metals, minerals and other essential elements for the bloc's competitiveness in energy transition and defence and aerospace. After China announced in April that it would restrict exports of rare earth magnets unless new licenses were obtained, the EU made its announcement. Diplomats, carmakers, and other executives, from Europe and beyond, are now left with no choice but to accept this decision. To secure meetings with Beijing officials in order to avoid factory closures.
Serbia will investigate Russian allegations that it shipped arms to Ukraine
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, said that Serbia and Russia would jointly investigate how Serbian-made ammunition ended up in Ukraine after Moscow accused Belgrade exporting weapons to the government of Kyiv. The SVR (Russian foreign intelligence service) accused Belgrade of a "stab in the back", alleging that Serbia's defence producers were selling weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. The SVR stated that Serbia sent arms to Ukraine via NATO intermediaries including the Czech Republic and Poland, as well some African countries.
TASS: Gazprom is working on a new gas contract with Serbia.
The Kremlin's energy giant Gazprom has been working on a gas supply contract for Serbia, according to TASS. Alexander Novak, Russia's Deputy Premier was quoted as saying this on Monday. Serbia, which has historically had close ties with Moscow, but aspires also to join the European Union is heavily dependent on Russia for its natural gas. It has been trying to renew the contract that expired in March. Since 2021, Russian gas is supplied to Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline through the Black Sea. Last year, Russia supplied around 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Serbia.
TurkStream gas pipeline may slow down EU-Russia decoupling
May 7 - While the European Commission has announced a revised plan to wean Europe off Russian energy completely by 2027, some parts of Europe have taken the opposite approach. The TurkStream pipeline is not only still operating, but has expanded its gas supply. Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian gas exports have dropped dramatically. They went from more than 155 billion cubic meters (bcm), in 2021, to less than 40 bcm by 2024. In the same time period, Russian LNG exports to the EU almost doubled, reaching around 25 bcm.
US sanctions on Serbia's NIS Oil Firm are lifted
The United States has granted a third waiver of sanctions to the Serbian oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije. It is owned by Russia's Gazprom and Gazprom. NIS has a single refinery with a capacity of 4.8 millions tons per year in Serbia. The crude oil supply is sufficient to cover the majority of Balkan countries' needs. On January 10, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury placed sanctions against Russia's oil industry and gave Gazprom a 45-day deadline to sell its NIS shares.
Vucic: Serbia will lose access to oil imports when the deadline for sanctions looms.
Serbia may lose access to essential oil imports as of Friday, after discussions to stop the imposition by the United States of sanctions on its sole oil refinery failed. President Aleksandar Vucic stated this in an interview published. The waiver of sanctions expires at midnight. If it is not extended, NIS, which is owned by Russia's Gazprom and Gazprom in majority, may face a reduction in crude oil supply. NIS is the sole oil refinery in Serbia, with a capacity of 4.8 millions tons per year. This facility covers most of Serbia's energy requirements.
Hungary will increase its gas exports to Slovakia starting April
The transmission system operator FGSZ announced on Tuesday that Hungary would increase its gas export to Slovakia from 2.63 billion cubic metres per year to 3.5 bcm by April. Hungary's decision to increase its export capacity to the north follows Ukraine refusing to renew a transit agreement with Russia, as it seeks a reduction in revenue that goes to Moscow for funding the war in Ukraine. The expiration of this deal has stopped a major route for Russian Gas to be shipped into Slovakia and Western Europe. Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister, has threatened to take retaliatory actions against Kyiv.
Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, says that Moscow is in touch with Serbia about ownership of NIS oil company
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said that Moscow had been in touch with "Serbian Friends" regarding the fate of Serbian Oil Company NIS. Belgrade is concerned about U.S. sanction because Russia's Gazprom owns a majority stake. The Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic announced on Friday that, following the new U.S. sanction against Russia's oil industry, Gazprom will have 45 days to sell its ownership in NIS. Vucic said that he met with the Russian ambassador in Serbia on Tuesday to discuss "the effects of U.S. Sanctions against Russian Companies" to his NIS.
The Serbian President says that Azerbaijani gas to Serbia has been suspended.
The gas flow from Azerbaijan into Serbia has been stopped and it's unclear when it will resume. This was the statement of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, according to news agency Tanjug. Vucic stated that it was unclear when gas flow would resume. Vucic added that the gas flow would be resumed in about a month. Serbia, which consumes more than 3 billion cubic meters of gas annually, signed an agreement with Azerbaijan in 2023 to buy 400 million cubic meters of natural gas each year starting 2024. The remainder of the gas is imported from Russia.
President says US is considering sanctions against a Serbian oil company majority owned by Russians
Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, said that the United States would introduce financial sanctions in the next few days against Serbia's NIS oil company, which is owned in majority by Russia's Gazprom and Gazprom. Vucic, a reporter for Informer TV, said: "We received confirmation that the U.S. He said that the UK and European Union will likely follow the U.S. by introducing sanctions. This means that oil shipments via a pipeline coming from Croatia will be halted. Vucic stated that they are still awaiting an official document with all the details. The U.S.
Serbian Vucic thanks Putin over natural gas supplies
On Sunday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Russian president Vladimir Putin for helping to secure enough natural gas supplies for his country's winter. A three-year contract for gas supply between Russia and Serbia expires on March 20, 2025. Vucic, Putin’s closest European ally, explained that the phone call was the first in nearly two-and-a-half years. It marked the 80th Anniversary of Belgrade’s Liberation from Fascism, and also discussed bilateral issues. He said, "I would like to thank him in particular for his help...
Putin and Serbian deputy PM discuss gas contract
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said that he planned to discuss with Serbian Vice Prime Minister Aleksandar Volin a contract for gas supply that will expire in March 2025. Putin and Vulin met at the Eastern Economic Forum, in Russia's far-eastern port of Vladivostok. Serbia, which NATO bombed during the war in Kosovo in 1999, has historical close ties with Russia, but also aspirations to join the EU. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine 2022, has walked a thin line between condemning Russian military action and refusing to join European sanction against Moscow.
BHP's return in Argentina is a new sign of hope for copper mines that are still untapped
More than half a dozen officials from the mining industry said that a new incentive program for mining in Argentina has attracted major players like BHP. They are now looking to the South American nation as the next frontier for the copper market. BHP's investment in Argentina last month was the first time in 20 years that BHP had invested in mining. The company teamed up in the $3.25billion buyout of Filo Corp with Canada's Lundin Mining with the goal of developing two mines of copper along the Andes Mountains bordering Chile.
Greece's Sole LNG Terminal Ramps Up Imports to Replace Russian Gas
Greece has cut Russian gas imports by more than half this year thanks to increased deliveries from other producers to its sole liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Athens, the country's gas grid operator said on Thursday.Greece has relied on Russia for about 40% of its gas needs for years but it has ramped up LNG purchases from other countries in line with a European Union plan to cut dependence on Russian energy. It has been receiving Russian gas via the Turkstream pipeline which also delivers to Hungary via Serbia.Its LNG facility on the Revithoussa islet…
ERE Opens 104MW Windfarm in Serbia
Israel-based renewable energy projects developer Enlight Renewable Energy (ERE) along with its Serbian partner New Energy Solutions has officially opened its Kovacica windfarm in Serbia.The opening ceremony of the Wind farm was held in the municipality of Kovacica in the presence of the Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic, Alona Fisher-Kamm the Ambassador of Israel, the Representatives of the owners, ERE, and its Serbian partner, New Energy Solutions.Kovacica clean power plant operates with 38 installed wind turbines…
Serbia's First Large-scale Wind Farm to Start in October
Belgian renewable energy firm Elicio NV said on Friday its 42 megawatt (MW) Alibunar wind farm in northern Serbia will start operating in October and help the Balkan country diversify its energy mix and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The wind farm, which has 21 wind turbines provided by German wind turbine manufacturer Senvion, is the first large-scale farm to connect on Serbia's grid.
Bosnia Adopts Long-Term Energy Strategy Key to Unlocking EU Funds
Bosnia's central government adopted a long-term energy strategy on Wednesday after years of political wrangling between its two regions, paving the way for major funding from the European Union and other investors."With this act, we completed the adoption of a package of four most important strategies for economic reforms," said Bosnia's Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic."We stopped a negative trend that meant we could not apply for energy projects and lost hundreds of millions of euros of investments and grants…
