Greece Acts to Halt Oil Diversions to Serbia

ATHENS — Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis said Friday that Greece is halting oil exports to all its northern neighbors to enforce U.N. sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro.

The announcement came after European press reports accused Greece of providing Serbia with thousands of tons of oil through the northern city of Salonika.

Foreign Minister Michalis Papakonstantinou denied the press reports, saying that Athens “fully respects the embargo.” He added that “Greece has no common borders with Serbia” but that until Friday’s action, there was “no way to stop trucks with goods whose travel documents give destinations like Slovenia or Hungary and then reroute to Serbia after leaving Greek territory.”