Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated on Tuesday that other countries express preferences regarding whether and how they want to be actors in the Croatian energy market, but Croatia decides on that.
In response to a journalist’s question about how he comments on the statements of the American ambassador that Washington does not want a Russian company to buy INA, Plenković replied that, as he understood, they came because of LNG.
– For us, LNG is a strategic project, extremely important for ensuring and diversifying gas supply not only for Croatia but also for a large part of Central and Eastern Europe, emphasized Plenković after the conference on the single digital market organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the European Commission’s representation in Croatia.
>>>Dalić and State Department envoy: LNG terminal on Krk is a strategic project for Croatia and all of Europe
He reiterated that a special law on LNG will be adopted, that this project continues, and that discussions have been held in Brussels.
– Regarding preferences about who wants to be an actor in the Croatian energy market and in what way, these are positions expressed by other countries, and we decide on that, Prime Minister Plenković stated.
Ambassador Kohorst stated on Monday that Washington does not want a Russian company to buy INA.
– It is up to Croatia to decide to whom it will sell the company, but we believe that would be a mistake, said Kohorst in a conversation with journalists. He also declared Russia a “disruptive” factor in the region.
>>>Azimov: The statement of the American ambassador about INA is ‘interference in the internal affairs of other states’
Russian Ambassador to Croatia Anvar Azimov responded to American Ambassador Kohorst on Tuesday, asserting that Americans interfere in the internal affairs of other states, violate the principles of free market, and engage in unfair competition.
– The statement is yet another example of American unfair competition policy, interference in the internal affairs of other states, and violation of the principles of market economy freedom, Azimov stated.
Plenković is bothered by the ethical aspect regarding consultants in Agrokor
In response to a journalist’s question about whether he has made a decision on sanctioning the extraordinary administration of Agrokor due to consultants, Plenković said he has not yet made a decision.
– Not yet, because the report is quite long and detailed. It seems to me that there are no legal elements here, as these are contracts between private companies. What bothers me is the ethical aspect, said Plenković.
When asked whether the government should react at all if the creditors are satisfied, Plenković said that for him and the government, the most important thing is that the entire restructuring process ends well, meaning that it concludes with an agreement, that companies function, that jobs are retained, and that the purpose and goal of the law on extraordinary administration is achieved, which is the stability of the Croatian economy and financial system.
– And that is what is my key priority at this moment, especially considering that we have only two months left, Plenković noted.
>>>Consultant costs since the adoption of lex Agrokor have reached almost 240 million kuna
In response to a repeated journalist’s question about whether there will be sanctions, he said: “About this and that. We will talk about it when we decide.”
Plenković requested documentation related to the engagement of consultants in Agrokor the week before last after it was reported in the media that, among others, the former company of the extraordinary commissioner for Agrokor Ante Ramljak, Texo Management, signed a contract with AlixPartners for consulting on the restructuring of Agrokor, based on which it charges almost 250,000 kuna weekly for consulting services.
As a result, public discussions have been ongoing for days about high consulting fees and the possible conflict of interest of Ante Ramljak.
