PRESIDENT MESIC RECEIVES MEMBERS OF INA MANAGEMENT BOARD

ZAGREB, July 27 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Thursday received a delegation of Croatia's oil company INA's management board, headed by its president Tomislav Dragicevic, and vice Prime Minister and president of INA's supervisory board Slavko Linic, who informed the president of business activities and the current situation in INA. The talks also tackled INA's future, it's role in the development of the Croatian economy and future plans for gas and oil research, Linic told reporters after the talks. We informed the President of the new composition of the management board, people who can gain INA's reputation back, Linic added. During the talks we tried to agree on President Mesic's assisting, through Croatian ambassadors, the return of INA in the countries where it was present during research projects where it could once again take a significant place with its knowledge and technology, and ensure enough energy products not only for Croatia's market, Linic said. The Croatian President fully supported INA's new management board and the supervisory board, as well as the new strategic orientation for the development of production and other activities, as well as the return to INA's former markets, President's advisor for interior policy Igor Dekanic said. When asked whether they discussed the joining of INA and Hungary's oil company MOL, namely the sale of INA, Linic said they discussed the privatisation process, however not in details. According to him, it was assessed that an equal approach should be enabled to all interested companies. "We believe that attention must be given to the surrounding and a joint globalisation process should be an answer to large oil companies in Europe", Linic said, and added that changes in the ownership structure should follow in 2001 or 2002. Dekanic said the one-off sale of INA was out of question, as well as the division and the sale of the best part of the company to the best bidder. (hina) it mm