Prime Minister: Government seeking solution for immunology institute

The Croatian government is continually working on trying to find a solution for the Institute of Immunology which has been neglected for years, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Wednesday in Brussels where he is attending the EU-CELAC summit

Upon arrival to the summit of European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders, Milanovic answered questions by Croatian reporters about what he could tell the Institute's employers who are demanding that the government urgently makes a decision concerning the institute. "We too are interested and working on that. While others are protesting, we are working on that," said Milanovic.

"There are some materials there, some substances that the state should take account of and believe me there isn't a day, maybe not a day, but a week that we don't have several discussions about that or search for a solution. We inherited the situation in the Institute of Immunology which has been neglected and destroyed for years. I know that they expect us to do make it into something that once had been. It will be difficult, but we are trying," Milanovic said.

The Economy Ministry supports the process to salvage the institute and has stabilised the situation and set conditions for the institute to be categorised a company of special interest to the state, the Ministry has said.

The Ministry added that it "wishes to set clear conditions concerning the possible takeover by a strategic partner and to protect the institute's employees."

A few months ago, the Ministry helped secure funds for wages and the re-launch of production so that the "company would be in a good state when the tender was advertised.

"After the process of collecting binding bids was conducted the Economy Ministry expressed some general comments on the sales contract and decision to accept binding bids, requiring evidence of the likelihood of the foreseen investments and warned that the tender documentation had not resolved the issue of the legal status of parent virus strains," the ministry says.

(Text and photo: Hina)

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