A potential MOL acquisition of a majority stake in Serbia’s NIS remains unresolved, despite a new US authorisation allowing negotiations to continue until 30 October.
MOL maintains that talks are active and that any transaction requires approval from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and other authorities. There has been no official confirmation that the proposed acquisition has collapsed.
Serbia has completed negotiations with MOL on a separate shareholders’ agreement that would govern the state’s position if the Hungarian group becomes majority owner.
Short-term licences have allowed NIS to continue operating despite sanctions associated with its Russian majority ownership.
The stakes extend beyond the transaction itself: NIS owns Serbia’s only refinery, making continuity at Pančevo central to domestic fuel supply.
For now, the latest extension preserves time for a negotiated solution. It provides no certainty that an ownership deal will be completed before the next deadline.
