Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that his country has secured a three-month extension of Russian gas supplies, ensuring deliveries through the end of March, Serbian broadcaster RTS reports
"We agreed to extend gas supplies for another three months, until 31 March, so that people can be sure and sleep peacefully," Vucic said, adding that Serbia would have both electricity and sufficient gas for the upcoming winter season.
Belgrade had hoped to conclude a new long-term gas supply contract as early as May this year. Instead, Serbia secured only a short-term extension.
Vucic also disclosed that Gazprom representatives are in discussions to sell their stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), Serbia's largest oil company, to Hungarian national company MOL. NIS has been under US sanctions since early October after several delays.
"Hungarians are our friends. We just have to finish as soon as possible, by 15 January," Vucic said, noting that Serbian leadership has no objections to the sale.
The United States has been pressing Russian companies to divest from NIS, where they currently hold a 56.2% stake. Due to sanctions, the NIS refinery in Pancevo, near Belgrade, has been shut down.
Serbian authorities are already considering abandoning NIS as their primary oil supplier if the situation does not change. Meanwhile, Hungary's MOL will increase crude oil and fuel deliveries to Serbia.
