Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed U.S. sanctions on NIS, a Serbian oil company controlled by Russian interests, as well as a potential new gas supply agreement between the two countries.
Their conversation focused on finalizing a new gas contract by 31 May, when Serbia’s current three-year agreement with Russian Gazprom expires. They also addressed the situation surrounding NIS, though President Vucic did not disclose further details.
The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on NIS on 10 January as part of broader restrictions on the Russian energy sector due to the war in Ukraine. These measures, introduced because of GazpromNeft’s majority ownership of NIS, were initially set to take effect on 27 February but were later postponed to 28 March. At the time of the sanctions announcement, GazpromNeft owned 50 percent of NIS, while its parent company, Gazprom, held 6.15 percent. Following this, GazpromNeft transferred 5.15 percent of its shares in NIS to Gazprom, reducing its stake to 44.85 percent. Gazprom itself was not affected by the sanctions.
President Vucic previously stated that the U.S. is seeking a complete Russian exit from NIS, where the Serbian Government holds a 29.87 percent stake, making it the second-largest shareholder.
