"The rule of law means to talk, especially when we are talking about another jurisdiction on which neither I nor others have influence. We are talking about values. If the Hungarian side respected the Croatian judiciary as much as the Croatian side respects the Hungarian judiciary, it would be different, but it isn't so. We respect the Hungarian judiciary very much, notably the final decision that still hasn't arrived," Milanovic said in Brussels on Thursday.
He was asked to comment on possible developments in the wake of a non-final verdict that a court in Kaposvar is due to deliver tomorrow in a case involving Cacic, charged with causing a traffic accident with two fatalities in Hungary in 2010.
"Remember the case against one Hungarian entrepreneur. The (Croatian) State Prosecutor's Office wanted to file an indictment, and I won't go into the details of the indictment, and the Hungarian side said it was a matter of national security. The State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) wanted to prove a serious crime, but the position of the Hungarian side was, we're not interested, no further comment," said Milanovic.
The Hungarian state prosecution last year rejected DORH's request to interview Zsolt Hernadi, CEO of Hungarian oil company MOL, over allegations that he gave a EUR 10 million bribe to former Croatian PM Ivo Sanader, with the explanation that it would endanger Hungary's security.
"Our message is that we have a lot more respect. That's the rule of law. Let's see who respects the law and justice and who only likes to talk about it. There are well-meaning critics and those that aren't, and I would like it, when we think differently, that our motives are honest, but I'm afraid it isn't so," said Milanovic.