Aleksandar Vucic Resigns Presidency to Run for Prime Minister
Aleksandar Vucic resigned as president of Serbia on September 27 after seeking critical energy and sanctions agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic formally submitted his resignation on September 27 to run for prime minister in snap parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25. Vucic, who has served as president since 2017, intends to participate in the election as an ordinary citizen after being nominated as the head of the Serbian Progressive Party electoral list.
Immediately preceding his resignation, Vucic held a diplomatic call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 26 to address urgent energy deadlines. The leaders discussed extending a gas arrangement that expires on September 30, which allows Serbia to pay a discounted rate of €318 per 1,000 cubic meters rather than the market price of €868.
The two leaders also discussed the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS). The company is currently under US sanctions due to majority Russian ownership, and a US sanctions waiver and a deadline for the sale of Russia's 56-percent stake to the Hungarian company MOL both expire on September 30.
