Austrian oil and gas company OMV AG (OMV.VI) is interested in buying a state-held stake of up to 19% in Croatian peer INA Industrija Nafte D.D., reports Austrian financial daily Wirtschaftsblatt Monday.
Citing unnamed sources, Wirtschaftsblatt reports that OMV is furthermore interested in a 7% INA-stake held by a Croatian pension fund, bringing a potential stake purchase to 26% at most.
The state-held stake of 14% to 19%, which will be privatized by the Croatian state this year, has, however, also attracted the interest of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Nyrt. (MOL.BU), who already holds a blocking minority stake in INA.
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader announced in April that talks over a deal with MOL has taken place.