Vucic: I believe we will reach agreement on NIS with Russian partners

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday evening he believed Serbia would reach an agreement with Russian partners on its Russian-majority owned oil company NIS - which is now under US sanctions - and added that everything would be done not to jeopardise Russian property in Serbia.

"I believe we will first reach an agreement with the Russian partners, and we will do everything we can not to act irresponsibly and jeopardise their property, not to take their property away from them," Vucic told the RTS in an interview.

He said the Russian partners had told him they understood him and that they would do everything in their power to help Serbia on the NIS issue.

"They have told me in a fair manner: 'We understood you, Aleksandar, we will try to reach an agreement and do all we can to help you on this issue,'" he added.

Vucic added that Serbian banks also faced risks due to the sanctions on NIS, but noted that he would not let them collapse.

"Serbia is the only country in the region that has investment-grade credit rating. We have invested so much into that," Vucic noted, adding that his duty was to "protect Serbia from everything, and that we show a fair attitude to the Russians, as well as to everyone."