"We believe Mr Linic would change his opinion about us if he got to know us," Koncar told a press conference in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka after Linic said in Brussels on Tuesday that Danko Koncar was an irresponsible partner with whom it would be hard to restructure the shipyards.

"We stand by our three bids in the total amount of 183 million euros," Koncar said, expressing hope that their bids would be accepted by the end of this month.

Businessmen Nenad and Danko Koncar and their partners from the German company Siag visited Rijeka's 3rd May shipyard and the nearby Kraljevica shipyard on Wednesday. Jadranska Ulaganja has also submitted a bid for the Brodotrogir shipyard.

Before talks with the management of 3rd May, Nenad Koncar said they had come with new deals for the construction of offshore structures and other facilities, adding that there could be work for the next three years.

Koncar said he hoped he would be allowed to lease Peskera, a plant on the nearby island of Krk formerly owned by 3rd May and now in state ownership, because it would be convenient for the storage of columns for offshore windmills. He said that a considerable number of shipyard workers could be hired for the construction of structures for offshore windmills, and added that their German partner had "a book full of orders" and urgently needed new capacities.

When asked how many people could be hired to work on offshore windmills, Koncar cited the case of a German shipyard which had been taken over by Siag two years ago. There were 700 workers at the time and now there are 1,000; the shipyard still makes ships, but it also makes offshore windmills, he said.

When asked if he would meet for talks with Minister Linic, Koncar said there were no such indications for now.