Russian officials showed interest in buying Hungarian oil and gas firm MOL Nyrt's (MOL.BU) stake in its Croatian subsidiary INA d.d. (INA.ZG), Hungarian business weekly Figyelo reports Thursday.

Hungary's top government officials held talks in Moscow last week when Prime Minister Orban Viktor met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries signed a deal on nuclear development in Hungary.

However Russia and Hungary didn't just discuss nuclear energy, Figyelo reports citing unnamed government sources. Moscow showed interest in buying MOL's 49.1% stake with management rights in INA.

Neither the Russian nor the Hungarian government were immediately available to comment.

There has been an ongoing dispute between MOL and the Croatian government regarding INA, over which the Croat cabinet intends to regain control. The Croatian government holds a 44.8% stake in INA after the company's privatization in 2003.

 
   Newspaper website: www.figyelo.hu 
 

Write to the Budapest Bureau at budapest@dowjones.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires