In the last 12 hours, the most concrete economic and infrastructure signals were dominated by new project and finance announcements. Serbia signed a commercial contract and pre-financing agreement with China’s Shandong for the design and construction of sectors 2 and 3 of the Vozd Karadjordje expressway, described as the first phase of an 83 km stretch, with further expansion planned toward Corridor 10 and completion targets cited by President Aleksandar Vučić (first part by 2029; broader second phase by 2035). In the energy sector, EPS announced the start of rehabilitation works on the left bank of the Bajina Bašta HPP dam, launching a tender valued at about 640.2 million dinars (excluding VAT), including concrete interventions and additional monitoring equipment. Separately, the National Bank of Serbia kept the key policy rate at 5.75%, citing inflation dynamics and risks from the international environment, while also noting that the expected inflation rise is likely temporary.
A major market-facing development in the same window concerns Serbia’s oil industry and the NIS stake sale process. Reuters reports that a newly formed Serbian company offered EUR 2 billion (USD 2.35 billion) for Gazprom Neft/Gazprom’s combined 56.1% stake in NIS, challenging the Hungarian MOL process. The report also notes that the bidder initiated steps with OFAC for a license and that Gazprom Neft stated it is preparing a transaction to sell to MOL, with no other negotiations underway—suggesting a competitive but still fluid situation rather than a finalized change of control.
Beyond energy and macro policy, several governance and corporate-finance items point to ongoing institutional and capital-market activity. Telekom Srbija plans a €1.95bn bond issue, with Moody’s assigning a B1 rating, and the proceeds described as refinancing and transaction costs—while Moody’s highlights both the company’s market position and risks such as leverage and heavy capex. On the public-safety side, Putevi Srbije warned citizens about a new SMS scam related to toll/speeding “unpaid” notices, urging people not to open links or enter card details. Meanwhile, the Serbian prosecution narrative around the Novi Sad railway canopy collapse continues to surface: Radar reports that prosecutors repeatedly requested police questioning of responsible persons from Chinese companies, but that no interviews had been conducted, with further requests sent after coordination meetings.
As background and continuity over the broader week, the same themes recur: Serbia’s push to deepen international ties and secure financing, alongside persistent scrutiny of EU funding and judicial reform. Multiple items reference Serbia’s move toward SEPA participation (including “Serbia to join SEPA tomorrow” and related SEPA readiness coverage), while other coverage points to EU funding freeze discussions and backtracking claims (though the evidence here is spread across older headlines rather than consolidated in the most recent hours). On external cooperation, Serbia-Uzbekistan engagement is highlighted through meetings involving Marko Đurić and President Mirziyoyev, with an agreement to hold an intergovernmental commission meeting in Belgrade later this year and priority sectors including mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, IT, agriculture, and tourism—supporting the sense that diplomacy and investment pipelines are being actively maintained while domestic infrastructure and energy decisions move forward.
