Russians in talks with Hungarians on sale of NIS, minister confirms

Minister of Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic confirmed that negotiations were underway between Russian shareholders and the company MOL to purchase NIS.

- Negotiations are underway between Russian shareholders who are the majority owners in NIS and the Hungarian company MOL on the exit of Russian ownership from NIS, which is a request from the US government in order to create conditions for the lifting of sanctions - stated Minister Djedovic Handanovic.

She added that NIS had contacted OFAC about this, and that Hungarian MOL had done the same.

- The Hungarian government has supported these talks and we, as the Government of Serbia, will also provide support, all in finding a solution to lift the sanctions, but also to create conditions for granting an operating license to Naftna industrija Srbije - she added.

She reminded that that day was the 77th day since the sanctions against NIS had come into force.

- What I am particularly proud of is that citizens have not felt it, that we have enough of everything in our state reserves - diesel and gasoline and fuel oil and kerosene - to overcome this period and this difficult situation. However, the fact is that so many days have passed and that our reserves are emptying even though we regularly replenish them. Citizens must understand that we do not have the logistical capacity to import the amount of petroleum products that our country needs. In this sense, we will continue to hold active talks, primarily to create conditions for NIS to continue operating regardless of the time it takes for the transaction between MOL and the Russian shareholders to be completed – Djedovic Handanovic announced.

The minister emphasizes that now everything is in the hands of OFAC.

- After our support for these negotiations, and after the official notification from the Russian government that they also support negotiations on the exit of Russian capital from the ownership of NIS, we will support these talks with OFAC and now everything is in their hands. In the sense that they first of all grant a new operating license for the work of Naftna industrija Srbije, and then continue to monitor how these negotiations are going and whether the end will be satisfactory in terms of what the US government sought - she said.