Beside Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Greek "Hellenic Petroleum" and Russian "Lukoil", Slovenian "Petrol will also join the race for privatization of NIS.

Confirming that intention, the executive director of Ljubljana-based company, Marko Križanovski, announced the possibility that "Petrol" might take part in the tender for procurement of complete or some of the parts of NIS in the consortium together with MOL and "Lukoil".

Three weeks ago, the managers of OMV announced that they were already negotiating with MOL and "Hellenic Petroleum" about making consortium for procurement of NIS. The presence of the Slovenians in the privatization of NIS is the result of the fact that "Petrol" does not have its own refinery, so that it wants to provide enough fuel for its own needs, as well as for the needs of export, through participation in the procurement of NIS. Besides, that Slovenian company does not hide that it plans to takeover certain number of gas stations "Jugopetrol NIS" on the market of Serbia.

Two years ago, "Petrol" offered 50 million USD as the deposit in the forming of joint venture with NIS, which would operate on the territory of Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. That company was ready to transfer technology of electronic retail operations and management.

By the way, prior to the end of May 2006, "Merryl Lynch - Raiffeisen Investments" will, as the privatization councillor, suggest to the Government of Serbia the first draft model for sale of the Serbian Petroleum Industry, whereas the Serbian Minister of Energy, Radomir Naumov, recently stated that "now is the right time for privatization of NIS".