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Robert Kohorst: It Would Be a Mistake for Russia to Buy INA

The United States does not want a Russian company to buy INA, stated the new U.S. ambassador to Croatia, Robert Kohorst, on Monday, deeming it a “mistake”.

– It is up to Croatia to decide whom to sell the company to, but we believe it would be a mistake, Ambassador Kohorst said in a conversation with journalists. According to him, Russia is a “disruptive” factor in the region, and the U.S. would like to see a partner that has a strong interest in Croatia’s success.

– We want a partner for Croatia who will be ready to provide support, the ambassador added.

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He emphasized that the American side is encouraged by the fact that the government has announced a tender for the selection of qualified advisors.

– The first step in all negotiations is to have a good understanding of the facts and alternatives (…) and it seems that these advisors, some of whom are American and some European companies, are very qualified advisors, and as soon as they are engaged, they will be able to advise the government, and then you are in a position to reach a better economic agreement, Kohorst said.

– We encourage the Croatian side to engage the best advisors and achieve a good economic agreement, Kohorst added.

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At the end of last year, the CEO of the Russian energy company Rosneft stated that his side was interested in purchasing shares of INA.

– We are certainly interested in investments in the region and are considering the possibility of entering the ownership structure of INA, Igor Sechin said at that time.