BELGRADE: Serbia will release around 5,000 tons of diesel from state reserves, the energy minister said Thursday, hoping to ease shortages as the ongoing war in the Middle East drives a global energy crunch. The Balkan country’s oil market is also under pressure from months of record-low Danube water levels, which have hit river imports, and the looming threat of sanctions returning on its sole refinery over majority Russian ownership. “The state is taking the necessary measures to protect citizens so they do not feel the consequences,” Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said. It is the latest step Belgrade has taken to cushion consumers from spiking oil prices and prevent shortages, including cutting excise duties by 20 percent in March and releasing around 40,000 tons of oil from state reserves earlier this year. Serbia has also been seeking month-by-month license extensions for its oil company NIS to continue operating despite US sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector. NIS requested another extension on Thursday, with a September 30 deadline looming, while talks continue over the sale of the Russian stake.