Viktor Orbán had talks with Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic today in Budapest. At the press conference held after the meeting, the Hungarian Prime Minister said Hungary has always considered it a moral issue, an historical obligation to support Croatia’s integration efforts, whether military or economic.

At the meeting, the Croatian and Hungarian Prime Ministers reviewed the status of cooperation in the energy sector and agreed that both states were interested in the reinforcement of cooperation and the broadening of opportunities. Hungary takes part in all projects, whether initiated in the north or south, that enhances energy security, Orbán said.

Central Europe has a bright future ahead, according to the Hungarian Premier, and with the implementation of the necessary reforms, a wide and strong growth zone will come into being, extending from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic, in the next few years, in which both countries will play a key role from the respect of European security.

As regards the case of Mol and INA, Viktor Orbán said the Government regards the European rules of corporate governance as the yardstick; if practices develop in departure from these rules, „we oppose them”. The Hungarian State with a 25 per cent stake in Mol does not have any kind of company management rights.

As regards the types of contracts that exist and the terms and conditions stipulated in them, we regard these as corporate issues even if we have in the interim become owners to the extent of 25 per cent. The rights of the Hungarian State are even more limited than those of the Croatian State in connection with INA. Disputes must be settled where the opportunities exist; this would be very difficult at the level of inter-state relations.

At the press conference, Orbán also made mention of the results of the elections held in Europe at the weekend. These clearly show that European politics cannot be confined to mere financial discipline in the fight against the crisis. People need security and work opportunities. We therefore expect the most recent political changes in Europe to guide the whole of Europe onto the path of Hungary’s economic policy, successfully pursued for two years now, that focuses on the creation of jobs and employment, he said.

(kormany.hu)