Eko Kvarner: Russian Oil Companies Give Up on Druzba Adria

EKO Kvarner

The Eko Kvarner environmental association confirmed yesterday, on basis of information received from international institutions and Russian NGOs, that the Russian oil companies have given up on the opening of new oil transport line, through the Adriatic, implemented in the Druzba Adria Project.

�We believe that the main impact on such a decision had the planned construction of 4,000 km oil pipeline to the Pacific, agreed recently when Russian President Putin visited Japan�, says Eko Kvarner.

Eko Kvarner also reflected on unrealistic expectations of the Government in terms of financial benefits that Druzba Adria would somehow bring to Croatia, and the purported geopolitical significance the project would bring to the country. Eko Kvarner believes that the real aim of the Project was to increase the Russian presence in the Adriatic, confirmed by increased purchases of real-estate by Russian companies.

The Association believes that the newly created positive energy by the latest developments should be directed to the implementation of projects of pro-active protection of the Adriatic. Eko Kvarner greeted the HSP initiative in the Sabor (Croatian Parliament) to declare the Adriatic a Maritime Area of Special Sensitivity.

This initiative should be supported to reduce the dangers from the existing oil-tanker transport towards the Italian port of Trieste. Eko Kvarner has already started lobbying activities with the international associations present in the Adriatic.

The association had the same goal in mind when it participated at the �ESCWA AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION WATER WEEK� held last week in Beirut. Eko Kvarner reports that an international conference on protection of the Adriatic was agreed in Beirut, with the aim to create a regional Centre for Applied Ecology and Sustainable Development.