Djedovic Handanovic: Working group backed NIS request for another deferral of US sanctions

BELGRADE - Serbia's caretaker Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic on Friday chaired the fourth session of a government working group tasked with monitoring the activities of the US Department of the Treasury and its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regarding US sanctions on Serbia's majority Russian-owned oil company NIS.

Djedovic Handanovic said the group had decided to back a NIS request for another deferral of US sanctions and that the government was due to make the request official on Monday.

The sanctions were deferred in late February.

She said NIS had this week requested a licence extension from OFAC after also requesting to be taken off the US sanctions list.

"Right now, it remains unknown whether and within what period of time that will take place," she said.

Djedovic Handanovic also said the Serbian government was in coordination with neighbouring friendly countries on the issue and that she hoped they would support Serbia and NIS again in an attempt to avert sanctions and protect the interests of Serbia, its people, economy and regional stability.