Djedović Handanović: Russian Owners Have Agreed to Sell Their Stake in NIS

The Minister emphasized that the name of the third party is not being disclosed because the matter concerns business negotiations between reputable companies and that, as she said, it would not be appropriate to discuss it until the negotiations are concluded, or at least until the key details have been defined.

"Nothing is being hidden from the public. As you have seen, we have been very transparent in our communications so far. Our requirements are clear: the refinery must continue operating, and a new supply of crude oil must be secured as soon as possible. I would like to remind you that Serbia has not received any oil from JANAF for the past 43 days, yet the public has not been affected. This is precisely because we have been working tirelessly to ensure we are prepared for any scenarios that might arise for Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS)," the Minister said.

She also noted that NIS, through its lawyers in the U.S., has submitted a request to the U.S. government for an extension of its operating license, allowing it to continue importing crude oil and to ensure that the refinery remains operational.

"We are now awaiting a decision from the U.S. administration to determine whether what has been proposed — in which we are, of course, involved — will be acceptable," Djedović Handanović explained.