Djedovic Handanovic: We will propose final position on NIS to MOL by end of day

ATHENS - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic told Tanjug the Serbian government would by the end of the day propose to Hungary's MOL its final position on talks on the firm's acquisition of a Russian-majority stake in the Serbian oil company NIS and that the MOL board of directors would make a decision on the position on Monday.

Djedovic Handanovic, who is in Athens for a meeting of ministers of energy of Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, said Serbian government officials had held talks with MOL representatives on Thursday and Wednesday and that an agreement had been reached on some issues, and that the operations of the Pancevo refinery remained the key issue.

"A few outstanding issues remain, the most important issue for us being future operations of the Pancevo refinery and ways to ensure optimal operations, which are important for our country when it comes to coverage of the Serbian market, but also in terms of the impact on GDP, economic growth and security of supply. In that sense, we will propose to MOL our final position by the end of the day. We have discussed it in detail and exchanged views on it, and there are not many surprises there. The MOL board of directors will be deciding on it on Monday," she said.

The minister said Serbia remained committed to finding compromise and a long-term solution for NIS.

"We have already said, not at all costs - not at the cost of our country's important, vital interests being endangered, and we have conveyed that to MOL representatives as well," Djedovic Handanovic noted.