Key Takeaways
- The US embassy in Belgrade has denied postponing sanctions against NIS, despite Serbia’s request to delay 90 days.
- The deadline for the buyout of the Russian stake in NIS is February 25, and the plan for Russia’s withdrawal from NIS must be approved by the United States.
- Serbia is ready to buy the stake for about 700 million euros ($724 million) but would try to avoid that.
Belgrade: The US embassy in Serbia has refused to postpone its sanctions against Serbian oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije by 90 days, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said.
On Tuesday, the Serbian government said that the company has submitted a request to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to postpone sanctions for 90 days.
“We have received an answer from the US embassy but have yet to receive anything from the OFAC. The embassy told us, clearly and unequivocally, that our support for things [Russia says] just will not do. Nevertheless, we will wait for a response from the OFAC,” Vucic said on Thursday while on air with Radio Television of Serbia.
He also said that he does not know when to call Russian President Vladimir Putin because he does not know how Washington will react to that.
“We have to preserve our country. I would not want to spoil good relations with Russians. I want to have good relations with the Americans as well,” the president added.
On January 10, Washington introduced sanctions against NIS, a Russian-majority owned company. The sanctions demand Russia’s complete withdrawal from its ownership. Gazprom Neft reduced its stake in NIS to 50% in 2022, while Gazprom received a 6.15% stake. Serbia holds a 29.87% stake, while the rest is owned by individuals, employees, and other minority shareholders.
Vucic said that the plan for Russia’s withdrawal from NIS must be approved by the United States and that all operations must be completed by February 25. He added there was a possibility to extend the deadline for the buyout of the Russian stake until mid-March. Vucic said Serbia was ready to buy the stake for about 700 million euros ($724 million) but would try to avoid that.
