Croatia, Hungary plan sea terminal for EU-bound gas
(ZAGREB) - Croatia and Hungary pledged on Thursday to intensify cooperation on the construction of a gas terminal at a Croatian port that would diversify Europe's energy sources.
"We have agreed to continue an intensive exchange of ... cooperation between our experts and companies" on the project, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader told journalists.
The two likely locations for the terminal were the northern island of Krk and northwestern port of Plomin, Sanader said at the end of a joint session of the two governments in the Croatian capital.
His Hungarian counterpart, Ferenc Gyurcsany, voiced strong support for the project, labelling it a "strategic issue for Hungary."
Croatia and Hungary are considering jointly constructing a gas pipeline from the Adriatic Sea to mainland Europe in order to decrease reliance on Russian gas.
The project requires the construction of an LNG terminal which could receive tankers from around the world and would transport gas via pipelines to central and western Europe.
The European Union, which relies heavily on Russian gas imports, has been trying to broaden its sources of energy after suffering supply disruptions in the past two years.
