Serbia, Russia: The Best Deal for a Cash-Strapped Belgrade

The Serbian and Russian presidents have signed a "political agreement" for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline in Serbia and an agreement to sell 51 percent of the Serbian state-owned oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije to Russia's Gazprom Neft. Serbia is cash-strapped and needs to sell something, and Russia is the only country in today's financial climate with both the willingness and the cash to be a buyer.