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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

United States sends request for Russian ownership to exit NIS

Belgrade, 15 November 2025

Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović stated that the United States sent a very unfavourable message to Serbia last night – that not a single day of additional time to continue operations is allowed to Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), and that in response to the company’s request, they are unequivocally demanding a complete change of ownership of Russian shareholders.

Đedović Handanović emphasised in an extraordinary address to the Government of Serbia that the US has nevertheless received approval for negotiations on NIS ownership, which is valid until 13 February, but not that NIS and the Refinery can continue operating.

She specified that during the night our time, the American partners, namely the US government, informed Serbia about the unfavorable news and a difficult message regarding NIS.

At the request of NIS lawyers, who sent it to the US government and offered a contract on the change of management in NIS, for the first time the US administration clearly and unequivocally said and wrote that it wants a complete change of ownership of Russian shareholders, that is, it demands the exit of Russian ownership from NIS, the minister specified.

This is a very difficult message for us because we have not received a single day that NIS can continue to operate, Đedović Handanović repeated and emphasized that it is impossible to change ownership in seven or eight days.

According to her, the Serbian leadership is facing difficult decisions regarding whether to take over the company, and then determine and pay compensation for damages.

The Minister noted that an extraordinary session of the Serbian government will be held tomorrow at 11:00, which will be attended by the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, and said that the Serbian leadership will not allow the country to be endangered.

In the coming days, she assessed, we may face some of the most difficult decisions in our history. I hope that our Russian friends will understand the gravity of the situation and will help us overcome it, because we have found ourselves in this difficult situation through no fault of our own.

She pointed out that the functioning of NIS is of vital importance for the economy, as well as for the state and citizens in general, stating that the sanctions have been in place for 36 days, but that citizens have not felt anything, thanks to the good preparedness of the state.