Mimović: My offer for NIS is not hostile, but friendly, gentlemanly

The owner of the companies KFT Senator Treasury GT7 Dva DOO Ranko Mimović told Beta today that his offer to purchase the majority stake of the Russian company Gazpromneft in the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) is a gentleman's.

"I respect the procedure and at this moment, until the negotiations between Gazpromneft and MOL are completed, on May 22nd, I cannot say anything more, except that my offer for NIS is not hostile, but friendly, gentlemanly," said Mimović.

He emphasized that his intentions were honest and that he would not close the NIS refinery in Pančevo, but would improve it and develop other products.

He stated that he had fulfilled the requirements requested by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and was awaiting confirmation from the institution's senior management.

He added that he also submitted all necessary documentation regarding the offer he submitted to OFAK to the majority owner of NIS, the Russian company Gazpromneft.

Mimović said that he secured the offer of two billion euros, which is what he is offering for a majority stake in NIS, because he has his own capital in banks and good contacts with funds and banks. According to him, securing the financial resources for the transaction was a prerequisite for being able to submit the offer, otherwise OFAK would have rejected it immediately.

He dismissed suspicions from some media outlets that he has ties to the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and emphasized that he has never personally met Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, adding that he is not currently involved in politics.

In response to media comments that he is not qualified to run NIS, Mimović said that he has prepared the most qualified team in Southeast Europe to run NIS in the event that he buys it, and assessed that the company already has good management.

Mimović pointed out that it is not necessary for him to be qualified for the jobs an oil company does and that in the world, such companies pay for expert management.

"After all, Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut is also a doctor, and he leads the government well, even though he does not have the expertise for all the ministries' departments," said Mimović.

As a potential buyer of NIS, Mimović announced himself last week through the Reuters agency, telling them that he was ready to pay two billion euros to purchase Gazpromneft's majority stake in NIS.

Hungarian MOL is currently negotiating the purchase of Gazpromneft's 56,1 percent stake in NIS, which, according to the OFAK decision, should be completed on May 22nd, but, according to the Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović, there are problems in the negotiations regarding the future operation of the refinery in Pancevo.