Overview
- Serbian leaders said the agreed deal framework will be sent to the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions office around Jan. 19–20 so regulators can rule on NIS’s near‑term operating permission.
- NIS holds a U.S. license to keep operating until Jan. 23 and a separate authorization to negotiate ownership changes until Mar. 24, with parties targeting late March to finalize documents.
- Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said Serbia would raise its stake by about five percentage points to roughly 35%, subject to approvals.
- MOL and ADNOC are in talks for the UAE company to join as a minority investor, with MOL retaining control and committing to keep the Pancevo refinery running.
- Hungary pledged diplomatic backing for the acquisition after sanctions forced a temporary refinery shutdown in early December before a Dec. 31 reprieve enabled a restart.