"Those allegations are not true. President Stjepan Mesic has not asked either the Government or the competent ministry to make the Study public. Besides, we regard his statement that the Government keeps secret the document as a malicious insinuation which we strongly condemn," read a press release issued by the Government's public relations office on Friday.
The government also believes Mesic gave such a statement for the purpose of his election campaign.
During Thursday night's television show on which all the 13 presidential candidates presented their views on a series of topical issues, President Mesic said he had asked for the publication of the study and that he did not know why the government was keeping it secret.
According to today's press release, the procedure for the assessment of the Study on the Impact of the Durzba Adria Project on the Environment is regulated by law and regulations and is available on the web site of the Ministry of Environment Protection, Zoning and Construction.
In addition, a report on the study containing basic data on the topic of the Study and on those who have compiled it and who are members of the commission set up for the assessment of the Study are also made public.
In response to an open letter from the Council of the Franciscan associations, the Ministry also reported that a specific programme had been made for the publication of the summary of the Study on the Ministry's web site and that due to the extensiveness of the Study a separate web site would be set up for the publication of the entire document, except for sections which are classified as state secret.
All of this will be carried out after the commission gives its opinion on the Study and decides on its publication. Commission members have been given the document to study it and they will convene on 17 January 2005. Sessions of the commission are open to the public, according to the press release .
The Druzba Adria project envisages the integration of oil pipelines from Russia through several European countries to the Croatian Adriatic coast.