Russia surprised by investigation regarding NIS sale

BELGRADE - Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin has said that the investigation into the sale of the formerly state owned oil company Naftna industrija Srbije (NIS) is a surprise to the Russian public and the majority shareholder, Gazprom Neft.

The start of the investigation caused a widespread negative reaction in the Russian media, he noted. It is also necessary to keep in mind the Russians' positive opinion of the Serbs and the long history of constructive cooperation between the two countries, he told the daily Politika, adding that Serbia's reputation in Russia was good.

There is the question of why the investigation was started 5 years after the sale, why just now and why does it focus on a company owned by Russia and Serbia, he pointed out.

Everything was transparent during the privatisation and Gazprom has followed all the agreements, which cannot be said for some agreements made with other countries, he stressed.

Why is a company that has risen from the ashes without help from Serbian tax payers and entered the global market under investigation, he asks. NIS brings around EUR 1.2 billion into the Serbian budget each year, which is more than 14 percent of the budget, and it is now, without a doubt, the most successful company in Serbia, says Chepurin.

When asked how the investigation could hurt the relations between Serbia and Russia, he replied there was no sensible reason that could undermine them, as long as Serbia and Russia worked in their own interest, rather than someone else's.

Serbia's Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic formed on August 11 a special team to investigate the sale of NIS.

A majority share of the company was sold for EUR 400 million and the...