BELGRADE, August 2. /TASS/. Serbia would like to buy NIS (the Naftna Industrija Srbije oil company), but does not see any interest in this on the part of Russia, Srbijagas head Dusan Bajatovic told the Tanjug news agency.
"The Russians also do not want to accept what we want. We want to buy NIS, but they say that the company is not for sale," he said, adding that NIS is currently operating without interruption, despite the threat of sanctions from the US.
Bajatovic pointed out that, to remove NIS from the US sanctions list completely, a solution acceptable to both Washington and Moscow must be found. Although the company's ownership structure remains the same, Bajatovic noted that there have been important changes in the management system. For the first time, a high-ranking Serbian official has joined the NIS management team. According to Bajatovic, this is "a good step for both sides," but the final decision rests with the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The Srbijagas head opined that, if absolutely necessary, NIS would be able to ensure uninterrupted supplies to the domestic market for at least six to eight months. He also noted that the sanctions are political in nature and aimed at punishing Russia, with the goal of creating daily pressure.
