Serbia-MOL deal ties NIS ownership to state stake

The agreement signed between Serbia and Hungary's MOL Group will only come into effect if MOL becomes the majority owner of Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS). Under the terms, Serbia would retain approximately one-third ownership of the oil company. The deal represents a continuation of Serbia's efforts to increase state influence in NIS, following Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović's earlier announcement of a contract aimed at boosting state control.