President Milanović: Hungarians should speak more cautiously; we are neighbours and partners, but we cannot cede our coast to anyone

“It bothers them a bit, and they should speak more cautiously. Croatia has a coastline and the capacities for transporting oil and gas, which are growing and now far exceed our domestic needs. This means they can also be useful to countries without access to the sea – Hungary, Slovakia – so if they want, we are ready to help. The prices Croatia is offering are, as far as I know, reasonable; it cannot be free. The rest concerns strategic and historical matters,” said President Zoran Milanović today, commenting on a speech by the Hungarian Foreign Minister at the United Nations, in which he accused Croatia of being a war profiteer for selling oil through the Croatian company JANAF.

“We are allies, partners, and neighbours, but we cannot cede our coast to anyone. After all, MOL owns refineries in Rijeka, they are co-owners of INA, and they manage the refinery. I see no reason for concern,” President Milanović added, responding to the Hungarian minister’s remarks.

He further stated that he did not want to interfere in the relationship between Hungary and Russia: “Since they purchase energy there, they certainly want to get it cheaply. They can also receive supplies through Croatia to a significant extent and at a fair price.” President Milanović emphasized that a bigger question is how long Europe can remain competitive without energy cooperation with Russia. “This must not be treated as an ideological issue, because that is nonsense and leads to madness and the unconscious state we are currently in,” he added.

“Hungary has been a very good neighbour to Croatia throughout all these decades, especially in the hardest times. The Hungarians were cooperative, and they helped in the diplomatic arena, where information is gold, and we were often left with sand. I would advise nurturing relations with Hungary as much as possible,” concluded President Milanović.