ST. PETERSBURG, May 21. /TASS/. Gazprom hopes for a settlement of the situation with US sanctions against Serbian company NIS (Neftna Industrija Srbije) given its importance for Southeastern Europe, Sergey Kuznets, member of the management board, head of Department 104 of Gazprom, said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).

"This is a private matter. I think the situation is that sanctions were imposed and they issue, a license that extends their direct application. Therefore, I hope that ultimately everything will be resolved given the importance of NIS for Serbia and all of Southeastern Europe. It is the largest enterprise in the energy sector," he said.

On January 10, the US Department of the Treasury added Gazprom Neft, its CEO Alexander Dyukov, and more than 20 subsidiaries, including NIS, to the sanctions list. NIS is one of the largest vertically integrated energy systems in Southeastern Europe. Its key shareholders are Gazprom Neft (44.85% of shares), Gazprom (11.3%), and Serbia (29.87%).

On April 26, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the US had once again postponed the introduction of sanctions against NIS, granting Belgrade another 60-day reprieve.

The 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum is underway from May 19 to 21 in St. Petersburg under the motto "Law: Lessons of the Past for the World of the Future."

The St. Petersburg International Legal Forum was established in 2011 and is held with the support of the Russian President. It is sponsored by the Justice Ministry and the Roscongress foundation. TASS is the general information partner of the event.