Serbia Appoints Three Working Groups to Discuss Energy Deal With Russia

Text of report by Serbian newspaper Blic website on 11 October

[Report by "M.M.": "Three Groups for Negotiations With Russians on Energy Agreement"]

The Serbian Government has appointed three working groups to negotiate with representatives of the Russian Federation about the energy agreement. According to information obtained by Blic at the government, these are working groups for negotiations on Serbia’s share of NIS [Naftna Industrija Srbije - Serbian Oil Company], for expert assistance with the implementation of the gas pipeline project, and for expert assistance with the implementation of the project for building the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility.

The working group for negotiations on Serbia’s share of NIS is headed by Nebojsa Ciric, secretary of state in the Economy Ministry. It comprises also Snezana Ristic and Aleksandra Babic, advisers at the Ministry of Mining and Energy; Privatization Agency Executive Director Branislav Zec; Milenko Ristivojevic, assistant at the Economy Ministry; Nemanja Komazec, secretary of state at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning; NIS Managing Director Milos Saramandic; NIS Financial Manager Ivan Zarkovic; Ljubica Simic, NIS development and investment manager; Deputy Public Defender Ivan Popovic; Srboljub Panic, deputy director of the State Property Directorate; and Stanimirka Mijajilovic, adviser at the Finance Ministry.

The working group for expert assistance with the implementation of the gas pipeline project is headed by Dusan Mrakic, secretary of state at the Ministry of Mining and Energy. The other members are Aleksandra Babic and Olga Antic, advisers at the ministry; Assistant Economy Minister Misela Nikolic; Nenad Ilic, adviser to the economy minister; Aleksandar Vesic, assistant at the Ministry of the Environment; Sasa Ilic, acting managing director of Srbijagas [gas company]; and Snezana Vuckovic, adviser at the Finance Ministry.

The working group for expert assistance with the construction of the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility is headed by Milutin Prodanovic, assistant minister of mining and energy. The group comprises also Aleksandra Babic, Olga Babic, Branislav Zec, Nenad Ilic, Sasa Ilic, Deputy Public Defender Ivan Popovic, and Radoslav Marinkovic, adviser at the Finance Ministry.

So far it is clear that, apart from the group for NIS, the greatest negotiating skill will have to be displayed by the group for the gas pipeline so as to negotiate a greater gas flow capacity of the pipeline, which should exceed 15 billion cubic meters of gas a year in order to be a trunk pipeline. According to information available so far, the agreed gas pipeline flow capacity at the moment is 10 billion cubic meters. Negotiators on the Banatski Dvor gas storage facility project will also have their work cut out, since this facility should become a regional gas distribution centre.

Originally published by Blic website, Belgrade, in Serbian 11 Oct 08.

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