BELGRADE, September 24. /TASS/. Serbian oil and gas company NIS approached the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury with a request to extend its operating license beyond September 30, company said.

"NIS sent a new request to OFAC for a special license that will allow the company to seamlessly continue its operations after September 30, when the previous license expires. The company emphasizes that its uninterrupted work, the continued functioning of the Pancevo oil refinery, and a reliable market supply are crucial for maintaining energy stability in Serbia," the company's press service informed.

The owners of NIS are forced to sell their assets because they were hit by US sanctions. In January 2025, the US Treasury included the Serbian company in its sanctions list along with its majority shareholder, Gazprom Neft. After several delays, the restrictions took effect on October 9 of the same year. The Serbian Energy Ministry said on November 11, 2025, that the Russian owners of NIS notified the US of their readiness to transfer control of the company to a third party.

On January 19 of this year, Gazprom and the Hungarian holding MOL announced the signing of a memorandum of intent on the sale of a stake in the Serbian NIS. Serbian authorities announced an increase in their share in the company by 5%, which will allow Belgrade to influence certain decisions of the shareholders' meetings.