MOSCOW, April 15 (Hina) - A meeting of a working group of the Druzba Adria project member-countries, Croatia included, to be held in Moscow on Tuesday, will focus on the harmonisation and possible signing of a multilateral cooperation
agreement and joint work in the transport of Russian oil to global markets via Croatia's Omisalj port.
MOSCOW, April 15 (Hina) - A meeting of a working group of the Druzba
Adria project member-countries, Croatia included, to be held in
Moscow on Tuesday, will focus on the harmonisation and possible
signing of a multilateral cooperation agreement and joint work in
the transport of Russian oil to global markets via Croatia's
Omisalj port. #L#
According to sources close to the Croatian delegation, the meeting
will be attended by representatives of transport companies of
member-countries, and representatives of Russian oil companies.
Under the protocol on the realisation of the Druzba Adria project,
signed last November by the Croatian and Russian governments, all
conditions have been met for the passage of Russian oil into Omisalj
via Belorussia, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary, and its transport
via tankers further on towards the West, as well as towards Bosnia
and Yugoslavia.
The Druzba Adria project is very important for Croatia in the
political sense, because of the connection among all the countries
through which the oil will be passing, as well as in the economic
sense. Its realisation can restore Croatia's pipe line JANAF's
complete functionality, with its capacities being exploited
significantly more than they have been. The project is significant
for large Russian companies also, since it makes it possible for
them to come out to the Mediterranean market.
JANAF is currently expecting guarantees from the Russian side
regarding the transport of oil according to agreed stages, in line
with the signed protocol, which should be discussed at Tuesday's
meeting.
Economic subjects, including resolving Russia's clearing debt,
could well be tackled on Tuesday at a meeting between Croatian and
Russian presidents Stjepan Mesic and Vladimir Putin.
Sides have been trying to solve Russia's clearing debt towards the
countries of the former Yugoslavia for a number of years. The exact
amount of Russia's dept to Croatia has not been established yet,
although the Croatian government has assessed it at between 200 and
500 million US dollars.
Before about two weeks Croatian media have run a story of the
possibility of raw materials for the Sisak Ironworks to be
purchased in compensation for the clearing debt, which was the
first time the possibility of the clearing debt to be repaid by raw
materials, not military equipment, has been mentioned.
Total trade between Croatia and Russia in 2000 amounted a mere
730million US dollars, whereas Croatia's exports to Russia was only
$60 million. The imbalance in trade was also registered in the first
six months of 2001, when of the total trade amount of about
$400million, as much as $350million was realised by Russia's
exports to Croatia.
In all talks between the two sides hitherto, it has been stressed
that the current level and structure of trade do not correlate to
the economic possibilities of either country. The two sides
assessed that the cooperation would improve with agreements which
are in the process of being signed. They also pointed out the
possibility of joint investments and joint appearance on third
markets.
Croatia is constantly stressing that it would like to expand
economic cooperation with Russia and raise trade to a billion
dollars per year as soon as possible, to which the increase of
Russian tourists on the Croatian coast would certainly
contribute.
If we are to believe the prognoses of Russia's touroperators,
60,000 Russian tourists could be visiting Croatia for vacations
this year, which would make a 20 percent increase to last year.
The Croatian Tourist Board opened its office in Moscow this
January, which, according to Croatian tourism Minister pave Zupan
Ruskovic, was proof of the will of Croatian tourism to become more
engaged on the large Russian market.
One of Croatia's largest investments in Russia is certainly that of
oil company INA into Siberian oil fields White Nights.
According to announcements by INA's management, the company is
currently holding negotiations with Russian partners and other
interested parties about the possibility of selling White Nights
because of bureaucratic obstacles and difficulties regarding the
approach towards the main pipe line artery from western Siberia to
the terminal at the Black Sea.
(hina) lml