Lead

Serbia's oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) has submitted a request to the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) seeking an extension of its operating license beyond July 1, as reported by TASS. The move comes amid ongoing negotiations for the sale of a stake in the company, which is under US sanctions alongside its majority shareholder Gazprom Neft.

Coverage Comparison

TASS's reporting on the matter spans several developments across late June and early July. On June 26, the agency quoted NIS's press service saying the company had approached OFAC with a request to issue a new special license that would allow it to continue operations without disruption. The same report noted that OFAC had earlier extended NIS's operating license through July 1 and set that date as the deadline for negotiations on MOL's purchase of the Russian stake.

By July 1, two separate TASS reports outlined the next steps. One report said OFAC had extended the license for JANAF, the Croatian Adriatic pipeline operator, to supply feedstock to NIS until July 31. Another reported that the United States had granted Hungarian oil and gas company MOL an additional month to finalize talks on acquiring a controlling stake in NIS. MOL stated it had received official authorization from OFAC to continue negotiations until July 31, 2026.

On July 7, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed hope that negotiations on MOL's buyout of Russia's stake in NIS would be successfully concluded soon, describing the situation as "not easy" and "not simple."

Key Claims

  • NIS submitted a request to OFAC for an extension of its operating license.
  • OFAC extended the license for JANAF to supply feedstock to NIS until July 31.
  • The US granted MOL until July 31 to finalize negotiations on acquiring a controlling stake in NIS.
  • Gazprom and MOL signed an agreement of intent—described variously as a memorandum of understanding, a letter of intent, or a memorandum of intent—to sell a stake in NIS.
  • Serbian authorities announced an increase in their share in NIS by 5%, which would allow Belgrade to influence certain decisions at shareholders' meetings.
  • MOL is negotiating with UAE-based ADNOC to join NIS owners as a minority shareholder.
  • NIS owners are under US sanctions, with the company added to the sanctions list in January 2025 along with Gazprom Neft; restrictions took effect on October 9, 2025.
  • Moscow and Belgrade discussed the sale of Gazprom's stake in NIS, as confirmed by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who noted the contacts were commercial and not public.
  • Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expects negotiations on MOL's buyout of Russia's stake to be concluded successfully soon.