New southeast Europe pipeline wins backing

ZAGREB (AFP) – A new 1,300-kilometer-long (806-mile-long) oil pipeline to link the Black Sea with Italy won support on Tuesday from the five southeast European countries involved in the project.

Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia pledged to boost cooperation on a plan to build the new export route between the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta and the Italian Adriatic port of Trieste.


Economy ministers and state secretaries of the five countries voiced their “support for the enhancement of cooperation between the countries of the Pan-European pipeline (PEOP) route and those other countries that have expressed their interest in the PEOP project,” a declaration signed here said.

EU leaders have become increasingly concerned at their dependence on Russia for energy imports, particularly natural gas, and are keen to increase their supply routes and diversify suppliers.

AFP