Montenegro could face fuel shortages amid regional protests of truck drivers, which also led to a blockade of the Adriatic port of Bar, as they complain over restrictive European Union entry rules that have left them facing deportation for exceeding Schengen visit limits.
The port of Bar is the biggest entry point for overseas fuel imports into Montenegro, which has no oil refining capacity of its own. It also houses the country's largest fuel depots.
Blockades of border crossings in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia that began on Monday have halted transport along a critical road corridor linking the EU with Türkiye and the Middle East.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the Montenegrin Energy Ministry said it asked oil companies for information on stocks and on the estimated period during which regular fuel supplies could be maintained.
It said current supplies had effectively been reduced to the fuel available at petrol stations, which would allow the market to operate for only a few more days.
The ministry also urged people to avoid purchasing excessive quantities of fuel at petrol stations.
Montenegrin police said earlier that the truckers have a permit to protest until midday on Thursday.
The truckers are demanding an extension of the allowed stay in the Schengen free travel area, saying that with the large volumes of freight they transport, they reach the visit limit quickly.
