The Agreement with Gazprom Can Only Be Threatened by Incompetence

Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak stated today in Županja that several companies are interested in purchasing the Kraljevica shipyard and confirmed that he has initialed the contract for the purchase of Brodotrogir with the owner of Kermas Energija, Danko Končar.

There are several interested companies for the purchase of the Kraljevica shipyard, which was a sad story six months ago, and now even five companies are interested in Kraljevica, Vrdoljak said in response to a journalist’s inquiry after visiting the Same Detz-Fahr Žetalice factory about whether the Viktor Lenac shipyard, which is in bankruptcy, is being purchased.

“Those who create the most jobs, who will have the largest investments and the best business plan perspective, will enter Kraljevica,” Vrdoljak stated.

He also confirmed that he initialed the contract for the purchase of shares in Brodotrogir yesterday, and that he will take the contract text to Brussels on Monday to see what the EU thinks about its content.

“I am personally optimistic regarding the completion of the privatization of Croatian shipyards. I believe that by the end of February or in March we will resolve two out of three issues, so that only the 3. maj shipyard will remain to be resolved by May,” he said.

In response to a journalist’s question, he also commented on the visit of the leaders of the Russian energy giant Gazprom to Croatia and the fact that Prime Minister Zoran Milanović did not receive him, stating that it was agreed at the narrower cabinet of the Government that Vrdoljak would be the host, and that the Gazprom leader would be received by the Deputy Prime Minister Vesna Pusić after being received by the President of the State Ivo Josipović.

“Nothing we agreed upon is or will be called into question. This can only be called into question by incompetence, ignorance, and perhaps, at some later stage, a divergence of interests between Gazprom and Croatia, but I do not believe in such a thing,” he said.

According to him, after the agreements reached with Gazprom, the first next step will be ‘to consider their opportunity to enter Sisak and the announcement of a public tender for the construction of new gas-fired power plants.’

They (Gazprom) are also waiting for the announcement of a tender for the concession of research and exploitation fields for oil and gas exploration in Croatia, which will follow in the summer, Vrdoljak said.