Bajatovic: I expect another delay of US sanctions on NIS

BELGRADE - Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic said on Tuesday he expected another delay of US sanctions on Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil company NIS and noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, scheduled for later in the day, was very important as the sanctions were political.

Bajatovic said he expected Vucic to also discuss the issue with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

"That bilateral part is very important because those are political sanctions. The Russians, too, have taken some measures in terms of changes to the way the NIS structure is managed, which I believe are insufficient. What I am afraid of more is the entry into force of European sanctions, because I am not certain JANAF will be in a position to join the transport of oil we are buying from third countries," Bajatovic told the RTS.

The sanctions will be delayed for another month, after which global geopolitical developments will have to be assessed, he said.

"We will get another month, I hope Vucic will succeed in doing a lot of things in the discussion with the US treasury secretary, but those sanctions are political," Bajatovic said.