The US deadline to sell the majority Russian stake in NIS expires on Friday, June 6. In the midst of negotiations with MOL, the line minister talks with the representative for energy in the White House. Was it just a protocol conversation or is the final solution for NIS sought in Washington
The Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, boasted on Instagram that on June 1, she spoke with the executive director of the White House National Council for Energy Dominance, Džerod Agen. It was about strengthening cooperation between Serbia and the USA in energy, but also about the fate of NIS.
This conversation took place just days before it expired the deadline for the sale of the majority Russian stake in NIS June 6th set by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Until the publication of this text, the Ministry of Energy did not respond to the question of the "Vremena" editorial office, whether this conversation was scheduled earlier or if it was an urgent call that was scheduled in the short term.
It is noticeable that in the second half of May OFAK extended the new deadline for the purchase of NIS to MOL by only two weeks. It was expected that the time for the agreement would be extended until June 21st, when the license with which NIS can work without sanctions expires, but the Americans decided not to merge these two deadlines.
The minister stated on Instagram that they also discussed the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS), which is under US sanctions due to Russia's majority share in ownership.
"I thanked for the postponements we have received so far and once again emphasized the importance that NIS has for our budget, economy and market supply, thus also for the normal functioning of citizens and the economy," said the minister.
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The minister also wrote that Serbia is "open to discussions" and that "every day we work to find a long-term solution, until the NIS is removed from the list of sanctions."
Đedović Handanović said that they also discussed "new projects that can contribute to the strengthening of energy security, the diversification of supply sources and the development of modern energy infrastructure."
She reminded that Serbia and the USA have an agreement on strategic cooperation in energy, which is also the first strategic agreement between the two countries, which is "an excellent framework for cooperation, especially in the gas, hydro and renewable energy sectors".
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