The dispute regarding the ownership of INA must be resolved in line with European rules, and suspicion of corruption in the privatisation of the Croatian oil company must be investigated by Croatian and Hungarian institutions, Presidents Pal Schmitt of Hungary and Ivo Josipovic of Croatia agreed in Budapest on Thursday.
The Croatian government wants to limit the ownership ratio and we have no influence on that, but such decisions must be adopted in line with European standards, Schmitt said at a joint news conference with Josipovic, who is on an official visit to Hungary.
Answering a question about the cooperation of INA and Hungary's MOL, Schmitt said that Hungarian institutions were ready to carry out an investigation into suspicions that MOL's management bribed former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in order to acquire management rights in INA.
Croatia won't do anything that is not in line with competition rules, and the INA-MOL case will be resolved in line with principles of justice and the rule of law, said Josipovic.
He added that according to the latest information, the Croatian government would consult with Brussels before making a decision on adopting a law restricting the ownership of INA.
I trust that the government will act in good faith regarding INA and the European future, said Josipovic.
