Serbia's NIS seeks new sanctions waiver to allow crude oil imports

Core Viewpoint - Serbia's NIS is seeking a new sanctions waiver from the U.S. to facilitate crude oil imports while awaiting the completion of a sale to Hungary's MOL [1] Group 1: Company Operations - NIS operates Serbia's only oil refinery located in Pancevo and supplies 80% of the fuel needs in Serbia [1] - The company has filed a motion to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 12 for the waiver, which is crucial for its operations [1] Group 2: Sanctions and Waivers - The U.S. imposed sanctions on NIS in October as part of measures against Russia's energy sector due to the war in Ukraine [1] - A previous waiver allowing NIS to operate is set to expire on February 20, and the company emphasizes the importance of its operations for the Serbian economy [1] Group 3: Stakeholder Information - Gazprom Neft holds a 44.9% stake in NIS, while Gazprom holds 11.3%, and the Serbian government has a 29.9% stake [1] - Hungary's MOL signed a binding agreement to acquire the stakes held by Russian companies in NIS on January 19 [1]