Szijjártó referred to the Croatian governmentʼs request to apply for another exemption from making an interconnector with Hungaryʼs gas network bidirectional, as an “extraordinarily unfriendly step”. He also noted that disputes over Croatian oil and gas company INA between its two biggest stakeholders – the Croatian state and Hungarian oil and gas company MOL – are a source of tension between the two countries.

“We would like the connection between the two oil companies to be a source of strength for cooperation between the two countries,” he said. Talks on the matter do not point to a solution in the near future, so plans must be made for the long term, he added.

Szijjártó said he had met with Karamarko in the event that the conservatives win next yearʼs parliamentary elections. We donʼt want to start from square one if this is the outcome, he added.