The US has postponed sanctions against the Serbian Petroleum Industry (NIS) for 30 days, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on his Instagram account. "This is good news for the citizens of Serbia", Vucic wrote.
In early February, the Serbian Petroleum Company (NIS) sent an official request to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department for a postponement of the sanctions imposed on it.
At the time, the Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Džedović Handanović said that the request was supported by the governments of Serbia and Hungary, and Serbia had requested a postponement of the sanctions for at least 90 days.
On January 10, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department added NIS to the list of sanctions targeting the company "Gazprom Neft" and the Russian Federation. "Gazprom Neft" owns 50 percent of NIS, and its parent company Gazprom - 6.15 percent. The Serbian government has a 29.87 percent stake, with the rest held by smaller shareholders.
NIS's request is for licenses that would allow the company to continue operating while a solution acceptable to the owners is sought. Handanovic said in a written statement that "the goal is for the company, which is regionally and strategically important for energy stability, to continue operating".