Djedovic Handanovic: US administration has sent positive signal on NIS, giving chance to talks

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Monday the latest extension of an operating licence for the Serbian oil company NIS and a licence for talks on an acquisition of a Russian majority stake in NIS by Hungary's MOL represented a positive signal from the US administration and another chance to complete the negotiations.

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

Last week, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) extended the operating licence for NIS for 30 days - until July 31.

The licence for the MOL-Gazprom neft talks was also extended until the same date.

"The latest 30-day extension demonstrates the readiness of the US administration to really give a chance for completing those talks. Let me remind you, the previous extension was only a two-week one, so 30 days is a longer deadline, after all," the minister told Radio Belgrade 1.

"The US administration said: 'Alright, you now have 30 days and another opportunity to complete the talks successfully,'" Djedovic Handanovic said.

She said the talks on a sale of the Russian stake in a large energy company such as NIS would be really complex in normal circumstances, too, but were even more difficult in the context of the US sanctions.

Djedovic Handanovic: Six companies have expressed interest in building Djerdap 3 hydropower plant

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Monday six companies had responded to a public call to express interest in building a Djerdap 3 reversible power plant.

"In the hydro sector, the two most important projects under development are the Bistrica reversible hydropower plant and the Djerdap 3 reversible hydropower plant, for which a call to companies to express interest has ended, and we have six companies that have expressed interest," Djedovic Handanovic told Radio Belgrade 1, adding that it remained to be seen which companies met the criteria.

"Djerdap 3 will definitely be the biggest project we will be developing in the future. A preliminary justifiability study has been completed," she said. The public call ended on June 25. Based on an agreement between the governments of Serbia and the US, a special working group of the Serbian government is in charge of the process.

The investment will be worth over 2.63 bln euros. Djedovic Handanovic said the construction of the Bistrica plant would begin very soon. "That means preparatory works this year and works on the main plant next year," she added.