Gazprom, Serbia to sign energy deal by end Dec

BELGRADE, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) will sign a final agreement on the purchase of Serbia's oil monopoly NIS by end of December, Gazprom's Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller said on Friday.

Serbia's top officials signed an initial a deal with Russia last January giving Gazprom's oil arm, Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM), the control of the majority stake in oil monopoly NIS in exchange for Serbia's inclusion in the South Stream pipeline.

The pipeline will begin to flow by the end of 2015, and perhaps even earlier, according to the agreement to be signed in the coming weeks, Miller told reporters in Belgrade. (Reporting by Adam Tanner)