Speaking on Croatian Radio, he said it was pointless to talk about whether Croatia would buy the stock after MOL announced the possibility of selling its stake in INA. "That depends on the concrete arrangement."
It is necessary to first see if it is possible "to fix or change the existing arrangement with the partners from Hungary to mutual satisfaction" and if Croatia has the money to buy the stock, said the president.
"In any case, it is in our interest that INA be a strong company. It is our national brand, regardless of the part-ownership, and I'm confident that the government will find the best way through negotiations."
Commenting on different opinions about INA's future following the recent dispute with MOL, Josipovic dismissed the possibility of nationalising INA. MOL's stake in INA is 49.1 per cent, while Croatia holds 44.84%.
Josipovic said the dispute did not disrupt Croatia-Hungary relations, recalling the statements by the two countries' prime ministers about the importance of good relations. "I think they won't be disrupted, that we will have the strength and the way to find the best arrangement."
He reiterated that judicial matters were non-negotiable and that the law must be implemented. "Luckily, we are a state in which neither the government nor the president nor the prime minister can order a court or the state attorney to act in this or that way. This is about implementing the law and this should in no way be seen as some sort of pressure."
Josipovic said the case of MOL's CEO Zsolt Hernadi, for whom Croatia issued a European Arrest Warrant (EAW), could not be compared to that of Josip Perkovic, a former Yugoslav and Croatian intelligence agent for whom Germany issued an EAW. "Each case is different, so let's leave it up to the judiciary to decide about both."
Asked about his upcoming, first official meeting with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Josipovic said Nikolic had made "unfortunate and incautious statements which caused some animosity in public... It's good that we have waited, that passions have cooled down. President Nikolic has changed his rhetoric in a way."
The president said that during his visit to Serbia they would discuss the issue of missing persons from the 1991-95 war, succession to the former Yugoslavia, and refugee issues. He said he would be accompanied by Croatian business people.
Twenty-two years ago today, former Yugoslav Army planes shelled the Croatian government's building. Josipovic said that after that, it became clear that a joint state was no longer an option. The Croatian parliament's decision the next day to leave the Yugoslav federation was the only possible and right one, he added.