Bajatovic: We will back any Russian proposal for NIS, Serbia will not be left without gas

BELGRADE - Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic said on Monday Serbia would back any proposal by the Russian side regarding the Russian majority-owned oil company NIS - which is under US sanctions - and that some kind of agreement must be reached with the US, and noted that Serbia would not be left without gas supplies.

Speaking to the RTS, Bajatovic said that, for the time being, he would not consider nationalising NIS, and that, in case there was no agreement with any third party, Serbia was offering to buy the Russian stake in NIS to enable the company to keep operating.

"Any friendly takeovers and contracts under which someone is allowed to return are obviously out of the question and a change of management alone is not sufficient," he said.

Speaking about a gas arrangement with Russia, Bajatovic noted that Serbia would not be left without gas and that the Russian partners themselves had said a situation where the arrangement would not be extended was unthinkable to them.

"But I would remain cautious, not everything is up to the Russians either. The European Commission has introduced a regulation on gas transport but has not adopted it yet. The question is how we can transport (gas) both in the long and the short term, but what the EC has announced publicly is that Serbia will have no problems regarding buying Russian gas until January 1, 2028," Bajatovic said.