Vucic: Elections due by July 10 or between September and year's end, MOL deal to be signed soon

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday evening parliamentary elections in the country would be held this year, by July 10, or between September and the end of the year.

In an interview for the RTS, Vucic said a decision on the timing of the elections would be made by the relevant institution in line with the interest of the citizens.

Speaking about the issue of the Serbian oil company NIS - which is under US sanctions due to its Russian-majority ownership - Vucic said a discussion had been held earlier in the day with the Hungarian oil firm MOL, which is seeking to acquire the Russian stake in the company.

"Today, we held a discussion with a MOL representative, and they expect to sign a shareholder agreement with us soon, and I believe they will be ready for that. Of course, it is not easy to sign that because they have some difficult conditions, and we have some difficult conditions for them," Vucic said.

"I believe we will find a compromise solution and resolve that," he added.

He noted that the US Office of Foreign Assets Control had extended a deadline for a deal until May 22 and an operating licence for NIS until April 17.

"I expect and hope the licence will be extended, because we have been working, and our Hungarian friends had been working as well, and I believe (US Vice-President) JD Vance was informed of that during his visit to Budapest," Vucic said.

He added that he hoped all projects agreed with Hungary during Viktor Orban's tenure as PM would remain following Peter Magyar's rise to power, and added that the construction of a new, 108 km oil pipeline between Serbia and Hungary was a top priority.

Vucic also said Serbia and Hungary had a true and sincere mutual understanding, and added that he believed it was not easy to destroy it and that the relationship would not be eroded following Orban's defeat in Sunday's elections in Hungary.

He said Serbia would extend a hand to Magyar as Hungary's future PM, to his government and to everyone else, but would not tolerate humiliation, or anything similar, by anyone.

Asked to comment on Magyar's statement that he would insist on a full investigation into a recent incident where explosives were found in the vicinity of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in the Kanjiza municipality, northern Serbia, Vucic noted that Serbia would continue, and complete, its investigation in a very professional and objective manner.

He said that the probe had revealed many things so far but that "we did not want to talk about it because there were many hooks and baits".

"As good neighbours, and, we believe, as good friends, we will inform him (Magyar) of what our investigation has uncovered and point out to him he was wrong to believe the babbling by tabloids and everyone else who said somebody staged something somewhere," Vucic said.