Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he was pessimistic that an agreement would be reached before Friday’s deadline regarding Hungarian oil company MOL group's bid to acquire a majority stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), the operator of Serbia’s only oil refinery.
Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Gazprom agreed in January to sell their combined 56% controlling stake in NIS to MOL after the United States demanded the divestment of Russian-owned shares under sanctions linked to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Washington has given the Russian firms and MOL until 22 May to finalise the transaction, which also requires approval from the Serbian government because the state owns a 29.9% stake in NIS.
Speaking to Serbia’s RTS television late on Thursday (21 May), Vučić said he did not expect the Russian companies and MOL to reach a final agreement before the deadline.
“We have held countless meetings with representatives of MOL. I hope we will achieve a successful outcome, but I am not optimistic,” he said.
Despite his doubts, Vučić suggested the United States was likely to grant additional time for the parties to complete negotiations.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on NIS in October due to the company’s Russian ownership as part of broader measures targeting Russia’s energy sector. However, NIS has since obtained several waivers from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
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