At the latest session of the Board of Directors of Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), during which Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedović Handanović and Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov addressed the Board, Alexey Urusov was elected as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of NIS, and Dragutin Matanović was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board. This is the first time that a Vice Chairman, who is also a member of the Board of Directors, has been appointed by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally, the process of selecting two independent members of the Board of Directors is currently underway, in order to meet the requirements of the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury) concerning the company’s governance.
New Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of NIS Elected
NIS is a strategic company in the energy sectors of both Serbia and the region, and by strengthening its central governance body, the company aims to enhance its operational stability and resilience.
“NIS is a key company for supplying our market with crude oil and petroleum products, and over the past six months, it has faced serious challenges due to potential imposition of sanctions by the United States. It is crucial to maintain active dialogue and take specific measures to reduce uncertainties in the company’s operations, preserve supply stability, maintain overall energy security, and have NIS removed from the OFAC’s sanctions list,” said Minister Djedović Handanović.
The Minister also emphasized that NIS plays a significant role in the Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline project.
“The construction of the Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline is a strategic project aimed at developing infrastructure that will primarily serve NIS for the procurement of crude oil through an alternative supply route. It is crucial that NIS actively participates and provides support to ensure the pipeline is built according to the planned timeline and to further strengthen Serbia’s and the region’s energy security,” she said.
The Minister emphasized that the stabilization of operations and financial consolidation of Petrohemija must be a high priority in the upcoming period.
During the meeting, it was noted that the government of Serbia has expressed interest in taking over the construction of the Plandište wind farm in partnership with the Hungarian company MET, thereby increasing renewable energy capacity in line with the strategic goals of the energy transition.
Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom Neft, supported the appointment of the new Chairman and Vice Chairman of NIS's Board of Directors and expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Government of Serbia for their continued support. He stated that NIS’s priority remains the stable supply of oil and petroleum products to the Serbian market.
