Djedovic Handanovic, Russian ambassador discuss NIS issue, cooperation

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic met with Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko on Friday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and a resolution of the issue of the Serbian oil company NIS, and expressed the hope the Russian side would do everything in its power to avert an interruption in the supply of crude oil, which she noted was crucial for the operations of the Pancevo oil refinery.

Since October 9, 2025, NIS has been under US sanctions due to its Russian-majority ownership.

Djedovic Handanovic said that, by signing a shareholders agreement with the Hungarian oil firm MOL - which is in talks with Gazprom neft to acquire a Russian-majority stake in NIS - Serbia had completed its part of the work in the negotiations and that she hoped Gazprom neft and MOL would succeed in reaching a deal that would also be acceptable to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury.

"We have little time left until the expiry of the operating licence and the licence for negotiations. We hope the Russian side will do everything in its power to ensure there is no interruption in the supply of crude oil, which is crucial for the operations of the Pancevo refinery," the minister said in an official statement.

Speaking about the construction of a Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline, she said diversification of supply sources was crucial for Serbia's long-term oil supply security and that she expected that discussions on further activities regarding the project would be resumed with the new Hungarian government.

Djedovic Handanovic also noted the significance of a years-long partnership with Gazprom and stable supplies of Russian gas, as well as a three-month extension of a gas arrangement with Russia expiring on June 30.

The meeting with the Russian ambassador also addressed opportunities for cooperation in nuclear power, exchange of technical information and support for staff development in areas that are important for the nuclear energy sector, the statement said.