RUSSIAN AND CRO MINISTER DISCUSS OIL TRANSPORT BY ADRIATIC PIPE-LINE

MOSCOW/ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - Croatia's delegation led by Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic, on Monday held talks with the acting Russian minister of power industry, Ivan Matlashov, on a project, called "DruzbAdria", for the organisation of the transport of oil. According to a statement released by the Croatian economy ministry, the issue of the price for the transport of oil from Russia to the Croatian Adriatic seaport of Omisalj should be discussed at a meeting of representatives of all the six countries through which the pipe-line in concern passes - Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia. The meeting is likely to be held in April. The Russian minister reiterated that the "DruzbAdria" project should ensure the transport of five (5) million tonnes of oil annually from his country to the seaport of Omisalj at the initial stage, and later 10 million tonnes, which would enable the Croatian town to become a major port for the export of Russian oil on the world market. During their one-day visit to Moscow, Minister Fizulic and Croatian businessmen met representatives of two leading Russian oil companies - Tjumensk and Jukos - that showed interest in increasing the amount of the transported oil to Croatia to 15 million tonnes annually. The Adriatic oil pipeline company called JANAF is expected to invite, by the end of this month, international bidders for provision of equipment and for repair works on the Sisak-Omisalj section. The value of that investment is 20 million US dollars. The transport is likely to begin in both directions in early 2002. (hina) ms