Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlovic said yesterday that the Serbian government and the municipality of Smederevo will give one more chance to the US-Dutch consortium Comico Oil to fulfil its contractual obligation and build a refinery in this town.
After a meeting with a delegation of the municipality of Smederevo held in the Serbian government, Mihajlovic underlined that that is a common position, so that the investor could begin the realisation of the project of Smederevo refinery.
She stressed that Serbia needs investors and that it is in the interest of the government that this investment is implemented because all investors are welcome in Serbia, but added that they must respect the laws and contracts they signed.
The Minister expressed her hope that by the end of the year it will be known whether the investor is capable of meeting their obligations and realising the investment in Smederevo.
Mayor of Smederevo Jasna Avramovic did not specify whether the town’s lawsuit against Comico Oil will be withdrawn, noting that that is not within her jurisdiction and that the ones who have to decide about that are the public attorney and the Municipal Assembly of Smederevo.
The Smederevo Assembly is to take a new stance on that matter at a session to be held around 20 September which will later be presented at court and the final decision will be made on basis of that, Avramovic explained.
The town of Smederevo sued Comico Oil and requested the termination of the Contract on the lease of land for construction of refinery in Smederevo because the US-Dutch consortium did not pay RSD 652 million within the deadline for the lease of the land.
The negotiations on the lease of the land lasted almost three years.
Comico Oil announced that it will invest $250 million in the refinery, that it will build it within three years and create more than 500 jobs.
Source serbia Gov.
