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Talks with MOL on buyout of Russian stake in NIS not going well — Vucic

TASS · · 332 words

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed pessimism regarding negotiations with the Hungarian company MOL over the purchase of Russia's stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS). The situation is complicated by US sanctions on the company's Russian owners, with a deadline for negotiations set for May 22.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/economy/2134129

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

11 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified 2
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
verified
“Negotiations between Belgrade and the Hungarian concern MOL regarding the latter's purchase of Russia's stake in the company Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) are not going well, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.”
VERIFIED
The TASS report explicitly quotes Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stating that negotiations with MOL regarding the purchase of Russia's stake in NIS are not going well.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Within five years of President Aleksandar Vučić in effect governing the country, Serbia has become a place where practicing journalism is neither safe nor supported by the state.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandar_Vučić
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web search NEUTRAL — Negotiations between Belgrade and the Hungarian concern MOL regarding the latter's purchase of Russia's stake in the company Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) are not going well, Serbian President Aleksa…
https://tass.com/economy/2134129
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web search NEUTRAL — President Aleksandar Vučić publicly stated that he did not know who Mimović was and dismissed the possibility that Mimović could acquire NIS, citing his lack of experience in the energy sector.
https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2026/05/14/serbia-and-mol…
verified
“the deadline expires on May 22”
VERIFIED
The TASS report confirms that President Vucic mentioned the deadline for the US Treasury Department's OFAC expires on May 22.
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web search NEUTRAL — сокращённо: OFAC. Office of Foreign Assets Control.Предшественник. Office of Foreign Funds Control. Руководство. Вышестоящее ведомство.
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Управление_по_контролю_за_инос…
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web search NEUTRAL — ofac.treasury.gov Edit this at Wikidata. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Treasury Department.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Foreign_Assets_Contr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Belgrade is hoping for understanding from the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as the deadline expires on May 22, he added. "Negotiations with MOL are not going well, n…
https://tass.com/economy/2134129
info
“Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic stated on May 7, following talks with MOL representatives, that Belgrade was not satisfied with the Hungarian concern's proposal regarding the agreement between future NIS shareholders.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about the month of May and do not mention Minister Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic or the specific talks on May 7.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/May
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 23, 2026 · Explore the month of May with holidays, the Flower Moon, gardening advice, seasonal recipes, weather forecasts, birth symbols, and fun May traditions.
https://www.almanac.com/content/month-may-holidays-fun-facts…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 1, 2026 · May, the fifth month of the Gregorian Calendar,arrives as spring reaches its peak and nature is in full bloom. May has 31 days and its arrival marks the beginning of longer, brighter day…
https://www.calendarr.com/united-states/the-meaning-of-may-e…
info
“On January 19, Gazprom and MOL announced the signing of a letter of intent to sell a stake in Serbia's NIS.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim contains general information about Gazprom and its 2025 performance, but does not mention a letter of intent signed on January 19 regarding the sale of a stake in NIS.
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web search NEUTRAL — Gazprom formed in 1989, when the government converted the Soviet Ministry of Gas Industry into a corporation to become the first state-run corporate enterprise in the Soviet Union. [10] After the Sovi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazprom
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2025, Gazprom performed its work in an efficient manner; we provided our consumers with reliable supplies of clean energy, first of all, of course, with natural gas.
https://www.gazprom.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 21, 2025 · Gazprom 正处于“资源优势支撑下的战略调整期”，其核心转型成效体现在三大维度：一是依托全球领先的天然气资源储备（占俄罗斯总储量超 70%）和成熟的管道运输网络，在欧洲市场萎缩背景下维持了 2024 年盈利恢复；二是通过“西伯利亚力量”管道对华供气 ...
https://www.10100.com/article/25379826
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“Serbian authorities announced an increase in their stake in the company by 5%”
CORROBORATED
Both TASS and another source (Gazprom NEFT To Sell Its Equity Stake...) mention the Serbian authorities' announcement or assumption regarding increasing their stake in NIS by 5%.
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web search NEUTRAL — Serbian authorities announced an increase in their stake in the company by 5%, which will allow Belgrade to influence some decisions at the shareholders' meeting. MOL is also in talks with the UAE's A…
https://tass.com/economy/2134129
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web search NEUTRAL — The sanctions on NIS — announced a year ago but in effect since October — halted oil deliveries via the Adriatic pipeline from Croatia, forcing Serbia to rely on emergency shipments from Mol to avert …
https://www.energyconnects.com/news/oil/2026/january/mol-to-…
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web search NEUTRAL — It was also assumed that the Serbian government could increase its stake in NIS by 5%. To complete the transaction, approval from the U.S. Department of the Treasury through OFAC is required. OFAC has…
https://russiaspivottoasia.com/gazprom-neft-to-sell-its-equi…
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“MOL is also in talks with the UAE's ADNOC about joining NIS as a minority shareholder.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (TASS, MOL-NIS Agreement Expected..., and MOL Announces It Is Taking over...) confirm that MOL is in talks with the UAE's ADNOC about joining NIS as a minority shareholder.
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web search NEUTRAL — MOL said in its announcement that it was negotiating with the United Arab Emirates national oil company ADNOC on it becoming a minority shareholder in NIS, while MOL will keep the majority stake and c…
https://betabriefing.com/see-business/serbia/33758-molannoun…
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web search NEUTRAL — MOL is also in talks with the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company, ADNOC, regarding its potential entry as a minority shareholder in NIS. Russia’s Gazprom holds an 11.3% stake in NIS, while its…
https://hungarytoday.hu/mol-nis-agreement-expected-within-da…
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web search NEUTRAL — This acquisition, pending regulatory approvals, positions MOL to gain dominant shareholder rights over NIS, thereby reshaping its operational landscape. Upon completion of the deal, MOL will gain oper…
https://seeenergy.news/hungarys-mol-group-to-acquire-56-15-s…
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“In January 2025, the US Treasury Department added the Serbian company to the sanctions list along with its majority shareholder, Gazprom Neft.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (TASS, Caliber.Az, and UPI.com) confirm that the US Treasury Department added NIS and Gazprom Neft to the sanctions list in January 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The background to the current situation stems from US sanctions introduced earlier this year. On January 10, the US Treasury Department added the Russian company Gazprom Neft, its CEO Alexander Dyukov…
https://caliber.az/en/post/us-postpones-sanctions-against-se…
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web search NEUTRAL — In January 2025, the US Treasury Department added the Serbian company to the sanctions list along with its majority shareholder, Gazprom Neft.On December 31, 2025, NIS received a license from the US T…
https://tass.com/economy/2073345
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web search NEUTRAL — 9 (UPI) -- The United States imposed a set of sanctions on Serbia's top oil supplier over its Russian-majority control that will immediately affect the Serbian public.NIS was first put on the OFAC's U…
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/10/09/Serbia-Ru…
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“After several delays, the restrictions came into effect on October 9 of that year.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent sources (Analysis of the Narrative, Russia and Hungary will support Serbia..., and Analysis of the News) all explicitly state that US sanctions against NIS came into effect on October 9, 2025.
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web search NEUTRAL — The outgoing Biden administration announced U.S. sanctions against NIS in January 2025, after which the U.S. Treasury under the Trump administration repeatedly postponed their entry into force until t…
https://www.isac-fund.org/en/programmes/regional-initiative-…
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web search NEUTRAL — As a reminder, on 9 October 2025, US sanctions against the Russian-Serbian company NIS came into force.
https://en.news-front.su/2025/10/10/russia-and-hungary-will-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sanctions against the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) came into effect on October 9. After being postponed eight times over the previous few months, the United States finally imposed sanctions on N…
https://antidisinfo.net/analysis-of-the-news-its-clear-whos-…
help
“On November 11, 2025, the Serbian Ministry of Energy announced that NIS's Russian owners had notified the United States of their willingness to transfer control of the company to a third party.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this specific claim regarding a November 11, 2025 announcement.
help
“Earlier, OFAC issued an operating license for NIS until June 16, 2026.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found for this specific claim regarding an OFAC license valid until June 16, 2026.
schedule
“The US Treasury also extended the deadline for negotiations on the purchase of a controlling stake in the Serbian company until May 22.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.