Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on the Serbian TV show "Pink" that there are no more opportunities to postpone US sanctions against the Serbian oil company NIS, BTA reported.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Russian oil sector on January 10 and then gave „Gazprom Neft“, a subsidiary of „Gazprom“, 45 days to exit its ownership in NIS. NIS was also placed on the sanctions list because of its relationship with „Gazprom Neft“. Since then, the company has received several postponements of the entry into force of the sanctions, the latest of which is valid until October 8.
Vucic noted that the only option for postponing the sanctions is for the state to announce the nationalization of the company, which, he said, is the "last thing" he would do because "nobody wants this". "I hope we will find some solution again at the last minute", he noted.
When asked by the television why Russia does not give up the company in the interests of Serbia, he pointed out that NIS represents a political interest for Russia and its "footprint in the Balkans".
"This is a political and financial interest, but I think the political one prevails. Why don't we ask ourselves why others are imposing sanctions at all?", added Vučić.
The Serbian president also commented on the country's European integration, emphasizing that it must be accelerated. "We need to accelerate our work. We need to work in a very rational way, not emotionally - what, how and where we are going. At the same time, we need to preserve our friendship with those with whom we have not broken it even in the most difficult moments. It will be terribly difficult," he noted.
Vučić also announced that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will soon visit Serbia.