ZAGREB, December 20, 2018 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday he was not surprised by the decision by the Hungarian energy group MOL to withdraw its lawsuit against Croatia in INA-MOL case.

Asked by the press whether the move was a sign of goodwill or was connected with his recent meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Plenković answered that "this decision was made well before the Hungarian prime minister's visit to Zagreb." "We are trying to resolve the accumulated problems which, because of the INA-MOL file, burden relations between Croatia and Hungary," Plenković told reporters.

Asked why Croatia had still not bought back MOL's stake in the Croatian company INA, given that he had announced this plan two years ago, and whether there was enough money for this given that contracts with consultants had not been signed yet, Plenković said that money and consultants were two different things.

"Consultants have been selected after several tenders. The dilemma here is who is responsible for what based on the tender issued. The government and the selected consultants have different opinions," he said, adding that this was a technical issue which was being dealt with by two ministries.

Večernji List newspaper said on Wednesday that MOL had unexpectedly and without any explanation withdrawn its lawsuit against Croatia, filed with a Washington district court.

Last year the Hungarian company asked the US court to recognise and accept a ruling by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in Geneva which two years ago ruled in favour of MOL and against Croatia. The lawsuit in that case was launched in 2014 by the Zoran Milanović government, and Croatia requested UNCITRAL to annul changes to a 2009 agreement on management rights in the INA oil company, jointly owned by MOL and Croatia, as well as a master gas business agreement, signed during the term of the Ivo Sanader government.

According to documents from the Washington court, MOL asked that the United States confirm, recognise and apply UNCITRAL's final ruling of 23 December 2016, referring to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Convention, of which Croatia is a signatory.

This would mean that the US judiciary should treat the Geneva tribunal's ruling as if it had been made by a US court and its enforcement was subject to US laws.

In the first version of its lawsuit, MOL also asked that Croatia should pay 14.5 million euro in costs it was ordered to pay by the court, which Croatia did, after which MOL confirmed that Croatia had settled the debt but not the interest and proceeded with the case.

The US court on 13 November 2017 informed the Croatian Economy Ministry that a lawsuit had been filed against it.

The penultimate document on this case from the US court was released on April 18, 2018, when Croatia was given an extension of the deadline until 28 September to prepare for the case, but five days before the deadline expired, on September 24, information arrived from the court that the plaintiff had voluntarily withdrawn the complaint, Večernji List says, stressing that MOL officials did not want to comment on the withdrawal of the lawsuit.

Many see the withdrawal of the lawsuit as a tactical move whereby MOL wants to additionally strengthen its position in ongoing arbitration proceedings it launched in Washington in 2013.

Croatia's launching arbitration proceedings before UNCITRAL in 2014 was a response to MOL's arbitration lawsuit.

Following the decision by UNCITRAL to dismiss Croatia's motion to nullify the 2009 agreement on management rights in INA and the master gas business agreement, Prime Minister Plenković said that the government had decided to claim back full ownership of INA by buying MOL's stake in it.

More news on the INA-MOL case can be found in our Business section.

ZAGREB, December 19, 2018 - The Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has unexpectedly and without any explanation withdrawn its lawsuit against Croatia filed with a Washington district court, the Večernji List daily of Wednesday reports.

The Hungarian company in 2017 asked the US court to recognise and accept a ruling by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in Geneva which two years ago ruled in favour of MOL and against Croatia.

The lawsuit in that case was launched in 2014 by the Zoran Milanović government, and Croatia requested UNCITRAL to annul changes to a 2009 agreement on management rights in the INA oil company, jointly owned by MOL and Croatia, as well as a master gas business agreement, signed during the term of the Ivo Sanader government.

Sanader is currently on trial on the charges that he received a bribe from MOL company CEO Zsolt Hernadi, who is beyond the reach of Croatian authorities, in exchange for ceding management rights in INA to the Hungarian company. Also indicted in this case is Hernadi.

According to documents from the Washington court, MOL asked that the United States confirm, recognise and apply UNCITRAL's final ruling of 23 December 2016, referring to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Convention, of which Croatia is a signatory.

This would mean that the US judiciary should treat the Geneva tribunal's ruling as if it had been made by a US court and its enforcement was subject to US laws.

In the first version of its lawsuit, MOL also asked that Croatia should pay 14.5 million euro in costs it was ordered to pay by the court, which Croatia did, after which MOL confirmed that Croatia had settled the debt but not the interest and proceeded with the case.

The US court on 13 November 2017 informed the Croatian Economy Ministry that a lawsuit had been filed against it.

The penultimate document on this case from the US court was released on April 18, 2018, when Croatia was given an extension of the deadline until 28 September to prepare for the case, but five days before the deadline expired, on September 24, information arrived from the court that the plaintiff had voluntarily withdrawn the complaint, Večernji List says, stressing that MOL officials did not want to comment on the withdrawal of the lawsuit.

Many see the withdrawal of the lawsuit as a tactical move whereby MOL wants to additionally strengthen its position in ongoing arbitration proceedings it launched in Washington in 2013.

Croatia's launching arbitration proceedings before UNCITRAL in 2014 was a response to MOL's arbitration lawsuit.

Večernji List notes that it is an interesting coincidence that on September 12 European Parliament members from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) supported Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the European Parliament, after which Hungary lifted its blockade of Croatia's bid to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), while on September 24, MOL withdrew its lawsuit against Croatia before the US court.

Following the decision by UNCITRAL to dismiss Croatia's motion to nullify the 2009 agreement on management rights in INA and the master gas business agreement, incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the government had decided to claim back full ownership of INA by buying MOL's stake in it.

More news on the INA-MOL case can be found in our Business section.

ZAGREB, December 6, 2018 - The Croatian-Hungarian Settlement was the beginning of the long creation of modern Croatian civil society, Croatian Institute of History head Jasna Turkalj said in Budapest on Wednesday at a conference on the 150th anniversary of the document. The document regulated the status of Croats in the last 50 years of Austria-Hungary, the beginning of the development of modern, though not independent Croatia.

Turkalj and seven Croatian and Hungarian historians spoke at the conference in the Hungarian parliament, held under the auspices of its Speaker Laszlo Kover and his Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandroković.

Jandroković said the Croatian-Hungarian state union had been one of the longest state unions in history. "We were together since 1102 as active political stakeholders in Europe, notably central Europe."

"It's also important to underline that we belong to the same European cultural and civilisation circle and we were, and still are, naturally inclined to cooperate closely," he said.

The Croatian-Hungarian Settlement was the foundation on which Ban Ivan Mažuranić implemented numerous reforms and although it did not give Croatia the fundamental features of a state, it ensured the features of special statehood such as territory, borders, legislation, management, tuition, worship, judiciary and internal affairs. "With that, Croatia acquired a status that no other Slavic nation had."

Both Jandroković and Kover underlined the importance of intensifying Croatian-Hungarian cooperation in the context of, said Jandroković, "an increasingly complex world full of challenges and a never more fragile European Union."

Opening the conference, Kover said that "we in central Europe want to defend ourselves from big powers passing through this region, which is why we should take care of ourselves together." "We should move away from the past and not look for protectors in big powers. There's no third way."

"Big tests are coming, dark clouds have gathered over Europe and migration is just one of the attacks on European culture and customs," Kover said, adding that central Europe could become Europe's centre, rather than be its periphery. "In these bad times you can't have a bad relationship with the neighbours. We must look for an answer to our disagreements and the legacy of the Croatian-Hungarian Settlement can help in that," he said.

Jandroković said this was his third meeting with Kover as parliament speaker and that he chose Hungary for his first official trip abroad to say that Croatia was interested in stronger relations.

"Today we see that Croatia and Hungary have good and friendly relations. There's this outstanding issue that we will resolve in the future, but it mustn't cast a shadow on the overall relations, which are important politically, economically and geostrategically," Jandroković said, referring to the issue of Croatia's INA oil company.

For more on the Croatian-Hungarian relations, click here.

ZAGREB, December 5, 2018 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday that, if Croatia and Hungary failed to reach agreement on the price at which MOL's stake in the INA oil company would be bought back by Croatia, that problem would become insurmountable because no one was in a position to set aside more funds than they could or should.

Responding to a reporter's question at a news conference after a summit of the Central European Initiative (CEI) in Zagreb, Plenković said that Hungary and Croatia had different views on the issue of the INA oil company. "The price of restoring Croatian ownership of INA is not something that can be negotiated overnight nor is it that simple. Quite the contrary, we are aware of its complexity and ultimately, if we do not agree on a price, in my opinion, that may become an insurmountable problem because nobody can set aside more funds than they can or should," said Plenković.

The Croatian government has estimates, he said. "We have rough estimates. What varies are broader details that can be important for energy companies, their future prospects and relevant global trends. However, we haven't done anything wrong in this case, quite the contrary, I believe that our decisions have been good and that that fact has even helped deal constructively with certain processes and problems. That was the content, spirit and tone of our meeting yesterday," said Plenković.

He reiterated that after his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Zagreb on Monday it was concluded that relations between Croatia and Hungary were very good and free of outstanding issues in terms of their good neighbourly relations, as well as that there were no problems in the two countries' relations regarding INA and MOL.

Prime Minister Orban said yesterday that Hungary saw the INA-MOL situation as an issue concerning the two companies.

In late 2016, Plenković said that the Croatian government had decided to restore its ownership of the INA oil company by buying back MOL's stake in INA, after Croatia lost a case filed against MOL before the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law in Geneva.

In mid-January last year, the government formed a council for negotiations with MOL regarding the possible purchase of shares held by that Hungarian company in INA, and in April this year it selected a consortium consisting of Morgan Stanley, Intesa Sanpaolo Group and Privredna Banka Zagreb as its investment consultant for the possible purchase of the stake and its possible subsequent sale to INA's new strategic partner. However, a contract with the consultants has not been signed yet.

For more on the INA-MOL problems, click here.

ZAGREB, December 4, 2018 - The prime ministers of Albania, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia on Monday arrived in Zagreb for a two-day Central European Initiative summit meeting (CEI), and were welcomed at a dinner by their host, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of Croatia, which is holding the presidency of the 18-strong CEI regional initiative in 2018.

The official dinner in Zagreb began on Monday evening with Edi Rama of Albania, Viktor Orban of Hungary, Zoran Zaev of Macedonia, Vasilia Victoria Dancila of Romania and Peter Pellegrini of Slovakia attending it. In attendance were also officials of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Suma Chakrabarti as well as senior office-holders from other CEI member-states.

On Tuesday, European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov are expected to join them.

At the dinner, top Croatian officials – President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, aside from Prime Minister Plenković – welcomed the guests.

Croatia is presiding over the CEI from 1 January to 31 December 2018. The next chairmanship will be taken over by Italy.

"One of the main goals of Croatia’s presidency is strengthening the Initiative’s basic mission – supporting the European prospect of member states that want to join the EU. Other Croatian presidency priorities include the transfer of know-how and experience in European integration, economic and cultural cooperation, the challenges of migration, intensifying cooperation between the CEI and other regional and international organizations, and maintaining parliamentary cooperation," the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry stated on its web site.

The CEI is one of the oldest regional cooperation forums in Central and Eastern Europe. It has 18 member states: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Ukraine. The Initiative’s Secretariat is headquartered in Trieste.

Croatia joined the initiative in 1992.

Activists of a few Croatian nongovernmental organisations, which earlier in the day called on Plenković to use his meeting with Orban to condemn human rights violations by Hungary, protested in front of the hotel where the dinner was taking place. They carried banners with messages "Deport Orban and Not Refugees", "It stinks of Fascism".

For more on Croatia's relations with Hungary, click here.

ZAGREB, December 3, 2018 - Croatian Prime Minister Plenković and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban said in Zagreb on Monday the only issue burdening relations between the two countries was the management of the Croatian INA oil company, in which Hungary's MOL is a part owner, adding that if MOL were to sell its stake to Croatia, the key point was to agree on the price.

The two prime ministers met ahead of a two-day summit of the Central European Initiative (CEI) in Zagreb and discussed many issues, underscoring that this was Orban's first visit to Zagreb in seven years and an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations burdened by disagreements over the management of Croatia's largest oil company.

"There is good will on behalf of both the Hungarian and the Croatian government to resolve those problems. What we would like is this problem not to burden relations in other areas," Plenković said.

Asked if Croatia was still willing to buy back MOL's stake in INA, Plenković recalled that on the Croatian side was the government and on the Hungarian side a private company. "The Croatian government's stance has not changed and in the end the key thing is to agree on the price."

Orban underscored that disagreements over an economic issue, which he compared to "a thorn under the nail", could not be more important than centuries of common history between two neighbouring nations. "I really don't know of any economic problem that could be more important or difficult than 800 years of common history."

Orban said "it's not a normal situation between two allied and neighbouring states when a Croatian prime minister hasn't been to Hungary in six years." "Until today's visit, I hadn't been to Croatia for seven years. I came here to change this unnatural situation so that we can bring our relations back to normal. The current situation makes me unhappy," he added.

Orban said it was confirmed at the talks with Plenković that the two countries were "on the same side." "We want a strong Europe. We want to strengthen the cooperation between European nations."

He said Croatian-Hungarian cooperation was "good". "Economic figures are good, we have constant trade growth, more and more Hungarians come to Croatia, there's a rise in the number of Hungarian investments in Croatia."

"Hungarians in Croatia speak of the incumbent Croatian government with great respect and Croats in Hungary can't remember a time when they enjoyed such great support from the Hungarian government," Orban added.

"Things look good," he said, but noted that "there's a certain bitter taste in our mouths." "The horizon of our relations is not entirely without clouds. You probably know how a healthy body reacts when a thorn gets stuck under the nail. It's no big deal but it still affects a person's mood."

"That's the situation we are faced with now," Orban said, alluding to the outstanding INA-MOL issue. "We must pull this thorn from under the nail and everything will be all right."

Asked by the press how he looked upon this issue, he said: "Hungary looks upon it as an issue between companies." "Decisions should be made at company level. If Croats and Hungarians can't cooperate in a company, then they shouldn't do it, they should go their separate ways," he said, adding that "in this particular case this means that Croatia should buy out MOL's stake in INA. That's the advice we can give."

Asked by the press how to resolve the issue of Hungary's refusal to extradite MOL CEO Zsolt Hernadi, for whom Croatia issued an arrest warrant on the charge that he had bribed former Croatian PM Ivo Sanader in exchange for securing management rights in INA, Plenković and Orban said it was a judicial matter.

"This government knows what the separation of powers is. This government neither intends to nor can in any way interfere in the work of courts and prosecutors," said Plenković.

Orban too said he considered this "a legal matter" and that in Hungary "politics doesn't interfere in legal matters. The judiciary should take its course. I won't make any secret deals regarding any legal matters."

Plenković said they also talked about transport cooperation, cooperation in the development of an LNG terminal on Krk island, and European matters, notably Croatia's wish to enter the Schengen Area.

"We want to make headway there and I'm sure we'll have Hungary's support in that," he said and Orban agreed. "We'll be glad if Croatia becomes a member of the Schengen Area as soon as possible. That will bolster Europe's importance too," said Orban.

As for Hungary's possible participation in the LNG project, he said it was primarily a question of gas prices. "At the moment, Hungary procures the cheapest gas from Russia. Second is gas from Romania, for which an interconnection is being built, third is the procurement of gas from Slovakia, while Croatia is only fourth," he said, adding, "If we can agree a business model, we'll be able to cooperate."

For more on relations between Croatia and Hungary, click here.

ZAGREB, December 3, 2018 - The summit of the Central European Initiative (CEI), to be held in Zagreb on December 3-4, is the culmination of Croatia's diplomatic efforts this year, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić said on Sunday, ahead of a meeting of six prime ministers and other high-ranking officials focusing on security and economy.

The summit, which is the final event of Croatia's Central European Initiative presidency, will start with a dinner on Monday and last throughout Tuesday, when a business forum will be held.

Pejčinović Burić told the public broadcaster HRT that six prime ministers and other high-ranking officials had confirmed their attendance.

The Central European Initiative was formed some 30 years ago with the aim of helping countries in the region draw closer to the EU, and of CEI's 18 current members, ten are in the EU, five are on the path to become EU members and three are members of the Eastern Partnership.

The prime ministers of two attending countries – Albania and Hungary – will conduct working visits during the summit. Croatia and Albania will sign a strategic partnership statement, Pejčinović Burić said.

In the focus of the summit is the visit of Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, a country with which Croatia has several outstanding issues, including Budapest's refusal to hand over MOL oil company CEO Zsolt Hernadi, for whose arrest Croatia has issued a warrant on the charges that he gave former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) a bribe in exchange for Croatia ceding management rights in the Croatian oil company INA to MOL.

Pejčinović Burić said that Croatia and Hungary had excellent relations in a number of areas and cooperated well in the implementation of the Schengen regime as well as that "it is time we sat down at the summit and agreed on how to proceed."

Progress in relations between the two countries has already happened, she said, recalling that Hungary had lifted its blockade of Croatia's OECD membership bid. "We believe that that is an important step and an indicator of good will," she said.

There are some outstanding issues in relations with Hungary, which is a foreign trade partner to Croatia, but Prime Ministers Andrej Plenković and Viktor Orban will have an opportunity to discuss them on Monday, said Pejčinović Burić.

Even though the central topics of the summit are security, economy and progress, other topics will be discussed as well, including EU membership aspirations, she said.

As for the business forum to be held on Tuesday, the minister said that it had become a usual event, "introduced by Croatia, during its first presidency 20 years ago." "This year's summit focuses on economy," she said.

The minister also spoke of Croatia's preparations for the chairmanship of the EU in 2020.

At the Zagreb summit, Italy takes over the presidency of the CEI from Croatia.

The CEI was established in Budapest in 1989, and its current members are Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

The CEI secretariat is located in Trieste.

For more on relations between Croatia and Hungary, click here.

ZAGREB, November 22, 2018 - Economy Minister Darko Horvat has said that in the coming months a final decision on Croatia's buyout of Hungarian energy group MOL's stake in Croatia's INA can be expected, underscoring that it is more important that the entire process is well done than the fact how much time all that will take. He also commented on claims that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban was angry with Croatia.

When asked by the press on Thursday about the outcome of the process, Horvat declined to speculate. "We are in a very delicate stage of the selection of relevant consultants that can help us in due diligence and in making a final decision on INA's current value and its value on the market," he said adding that this part of the process was within the remit of the ministers of finance and energy.

Earlier on Thursday, Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić also commented on scenarios for Croatia's buyout of MOL's stake in INA, and said that he expected a decision in the months ahead. After a reporter remarked that the government was taking too long to decide, Ćorić said such a job should be done properly. "It's much better to work longer and for the analysis to be good than to do it in a short time and have a lacking analysis," he said.

In January 2017, the government set up a council for negotiations with MOL on a possible buyout of its stake in INA. This past April, the government chose a consortium comprising Morgan Stanley, Intesa Sanpaolo Group and Privredna Banka Zagreb as its investment consultants in the possible buyout and subsequent sale to a new strategic partner for INA. However, a contract with these consultants has not yet been signed.

Also on Thursday, Horvat and Ćorić commented on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's alleged anger at Croatia over the reactivation of an arrest warrant for MOL CEO Zsolt Hernadi.

Ćorić told reporters "What anger? Only good vibrations, please" and announced that Orban was expected in Croatia on December 3.

Croatian media have carried Hungarian Index.hu portal's claim that Orban was "very angry that Croatia betrayed Hungary and didn't act gentlemanly in the lifting of the blockade on Croatia's OECD membership bid in exchange for giving up the Hernadi arrest warrant."

Horvat said he did not see any reason for anger. Furthermore, he did not perceive such feelings in any form of communication with Orban.

The Croatian minister expressed hope that Slovenia would follow Hungary's suit and remove its objections to Croatia's OECD membership bid.

For more on the INA-MOL issues, click here.

ZAGREB, November 17, 2018 – The Interpol Executive Committee met in Dubai on Saturday and ruled in favour of Croatia, allowing the renewal of the international arrest warrant for the CEO of the Hungarian energy company MOL, Zsolt Hernadi, the Croatian Interior Ministry said in a press release.

The Ministry recalled that in November 2016, Croatia's request to INTERPOL to extend a Red Notice for MOL's CEO Hernadi was outvoted at an Interpol general assembly. As EU member states, Croatia and Hungary were urged to resolve their dispute before a relevant EU body after which they can submit another request to the Committee to consider issuing the arrest warrant for Hernadi.

After a European Court in Luxembourg announced in July this year that Hungary should not have ignored the European arrest warrant issued for Hernadi, Croatian police have once again requested Interpol to extend a Red Notice for the MOL's CEO,

The European arrest warrant for Hernadi, which some states have ignored, was first issued after Croatia's USKOK anti-corruption office accused him of giving former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader 10 million euro in bribes so that MOL could have management rights in Croatian oil company INA.

In December 2015, Sanader's corruption trial was combined with Hernadi's case, but the latter's defence asked that the case file be translated into Hungarian. They also claimed that Hernadi had been acquitted of bribing Sanader in a private suit in Hungary.

At the end of 2017, Croatia's Supreme Court quashed a decision of 30 May 2017 whereby Zagreb's County Court suspended the Sanader-Hernadi trial while ruling on appeals filed by USKOK and Hernadi's defence. Last week, the County Court adjourned a preliminary hearing in the proceedings.

For more on the INA-MOL case, which has been burdening the relations between Croatia and Hungary, click here.

ZAGREB, November 17, 2018 - Hungary supports Croatia's accession to the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development (OECD), Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić has said in an interview with the Večernji List daily, which means that Slovenia remains the only country blocking Croatia's entry into the club of the world's most developed countries.

"Hungary is our neighbouring and friendly country with which we share many historical, cultural and other ties, but surely the ties between our people are the strongest, and they are firm and close. Hungary supports our accession to the OECD," the minister said in the interview with the Večernji List issue of Saturday.

She did not speak about any details, but Hina has been told that Hungary no longer opposes Croatia's accession to the 36-member organisation.

Over the past year, Hungary was blocking Croatia's accession to the OECD, claiming that Zagreb does not respect decisions of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which has ruled that there is insufficient evidence to prove that agreements signed in 2009 by the Croatian government and the Hungarian oil company MOL regarding management rights in the Croatian oil company INA were a result of corruption.

Slovenia is still blocking Croatia's accession due to Croatia's refusal to recognise a ruling by an international arbitral tribunal on the two countries' border dispute.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Budapest on Friday that he would pay an official visit to Croatia in early December, the MTI news agency reported.

Speaking of relations with Croatia, Orban said that the Hungarian government believed the dispute regarding MOL should be dealt with within the company and not through talks between the two governments.

I have tried to explain that raising the dispute regarding MOL to the government level would result in a stronger response from Hungary, which can be very harmful for bilateral relations, said Orban. International courts must decide on the legal aspects of relations between the two companies and Hungary will honour their decisions, he said.

For more on the INA-MOL affair, click here.