ZAGREB, February 13, 2018 - The Americans are meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, violating the principle of a free market and are conducting policies of unfair competition, Russia's Ambassador to Croatia, Anvar Azimov said on Tuesday in response to a statement by his US counterpart, Robert Kohorst, who claimed that it would be a mistake for Croatia to sell its shares in the INA oil company to the Russians.
Azimov said that he was astonished by Kohorst's statement and that he was sorry because of that. "That statement is yet another example of America's policies of unfair competition, meddling in the internal affairs of another country, violating the principle of a free market economy," Azimov said.
On Monday, Ambassador Kohorst said that Washington doesn't want INA to be bought by a Russian company. It is up to Croatia to decide to whom it will sell the company, however, we think that that would be a mistake, Kohorst told reporters. He described Russia as a disturbing factor in the region. "It is inappropriate for foreign countries to teach a sovereign Croatia how to conduct its policies in the national interest of its citizens," Azimov said.
A sovereign Croatia will choose its partners itself, that will truly and not just a declaratory manner, be prepared to provide real assistance to develop its economy, Azimov underscored.
