In response to US sanctions targeting its energy sector, particularly the oil company NIS, the Serbian Government has enlisted the lobbying services of BlackSummit Capital. The firm’s role is to assist Serbia in navigating the sanctions imposed on NIS, which is partly owned by the Russian company GazpromNeft. A document from the US Department of Justice reveals that BlackSummit’s task includes political advocacy to help Serbia align with the requirements set by the sanctions.
The collaboration reportedly began through a verbal agreement, and while a formal written contract was still pending at the time of reporting, it remains unclear whether the contract has been finalized. The President’s Office and the Ministry of Finance have not responded to inquiries about the status of the agreement.
The sanctions, initially scheduled for enforcement by the end of February, were postponed twice, with the latest deadline extension pushing the enforcement to the end of March. On 10 January, the US added NIS to its sanctions list due to its ownership structure involving GazpromNeft, which later transferred part of its stake to Gazprom in an attempt to avoid the penalties. However, this move did not satisfy US authorities, leading to further delays in the sanctions’ full implementation.
