Djedovic Handanovic: US response to request for NIS licence due tonight or next week

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Friday the Pancevo oil refinery would remain in hot circulation mode until Tuesday, December 2, and that Washington's response to a request for a new operating licence for Serbia's oil company NIS was due "tonight or next week."

NIS is under US sanctions due to its Russian-majority ownership.

"If the response is positive, it (the refinery) will be able to produce the first quantities of diesel as early as on December 15, which aligns with plans to date and NIS reserves," Djedovic Handanovic told reporters in Belgrade.

She added that Thursday had been a non-working holiday in the US.

"We expect to see whether we will get a response tonight or next week," Djedovic Handanovic said.