Croatian President Andrej Plenkovic wrote to the EU commission on August 1 to inform that the country's oil pipeline connecting to Adriatic ports - where oil transported by sea can be brought into the European network - is working. "not used at full capacity", Financial Times reported.
Imported infrastructure here exceeds Croatia's needs. "Landlocked countries in Central Europe have the opportunity to use this alternative supply route to reduce or even completely eliminate their dependence on Russian oil ," the Croatian leader wrote.
He emphasized that Croatian oil shipping company JANAF is "ready to negotiate long-term contracts with larger volumes to ensure energy supply security and reduce dependence".
JANAF's Adria pipeline capacity is 14.3 million tons of oil per year, from the company's terminal on the island of Krk. Currently, Croatia buys 2 million tons and Serbia buys 3.3 million tons from this source. President Plenkovic said that Hungary's MOL has a contract for 2.2 million tons per year until the end of 2024.
On August 2, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis encouraged Budapest and Bratislava to use the Adria oil pipeline . He also demanded evidence that Ukraine's Lukoil sanctions had reduced oil supplies with Hungary and Slovakia.
Oil supplies from Lukoil - Russia's largest private oil export company - through Ukraine have been stopped since July after Ukraine banned Lukoil from using the Druzhba oil pipeline connecting Russia with Eastern Europe. Hungary and Slovakia have asked the European Commission to intervene.
Reuters said that on August 2, Slovakia and Hungary rejected the European Commission's proposal to replace oil supply through the Croatian oil pipeline, saying this route is too expensive.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized the Croatian leader's letter on social media, claiming that it was coordinated with the European Commission to pressure Hungary.
"Croatia is simply not a reliable country for transshipment. Croatia's oil transit price has increased 5 times since the conflict in Ukraine broke out" - Mr. Peter Szijjarto said.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman responded immediately, emphasizing: "This is an extremely offensive political statement that we did not expect from the representative of the country to which we reacted with restraint and moderation." against moves with bad intentions."
Slovakia - where the Hungarian-owned Slovnaft refinery has received part of the oil through JANAF - reported on August 2 that it had received a letter from the Croatian government requesting to ensure supply.
"But at what price? How much capacity? No one knows that today" - Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar asked. He said Slovakia wants the European Commission to ask Ukraine to fully restore supplies from Russia. At the same time, Slovakia will also seek another solution in case the Commission does not act.
Reuters reported that on August 2, when Hungary said that Croatia did not invest in building oil transshipment capacity and had never proven the maximum transshipment capacity of the pipeline, JANAF denied the accusations. tie.
The Croatian company emphasized that it has continuously invested in the transportation and storage system and, together with MOL, tested the transportation capacity on the pipeline section to Hungary and demonstrated that it can transport 1.2 million tons. crude oil per month.
