Gazprom is negotiating with the Hungarian oil company MOL regarding the sale of its majority stake in NIS, the operator of the only refinery in Serbia.

Two Russian companies, Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, hold 44.9% and 11.3% of NIS shares, respectively, but are required to sell their stakes due to sanctions imposed by the USA. The Serbian state owns 29.9% of the shares, while the remainder is distributed among small shareholders and employees. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic mentioned that Gazprom is in talks with the Hungarian group MOL for the sale of the shares, emphasizing that this partnership is welcome. Vucic has requested the completion of the process by January 15. The sanctions have led to the halt of payments for NIS and the suspension of oil deliveries to the refinery. Additionally, Serbia will extend the gas supply agreement with Russia for another three months, remaining one of the few European buyers of Russian gas. Although Serbia aspires to join the European Union, it has not yet implemented EU sanctions against Russia, in the context where its neighbors are facing similar issues due to sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies.