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AGREEMENT REACHED ON ADRIATIC PIPELINE The governments of Belarus, Croatia, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine signed a 10-year accord on 16 December to integrate the Druzhba and Adria oil-pipeline networks, "Kommersant" reported on 17 December. The integrated pipeline will transport Russian oil to the Croatian deep-water port of Omisalj, easing access to world markets. Initial transport volume will be 5 million tons of oil per year with a transport tariff of $0.64 per ton per 100 kilometers. Transport volume will eventually increase to 15 million tons annually. Yukos and Tyumen Oil Company (TNK) are the obvious beneficiaries of the accord, as each has agreed to supply 2.5 million tons of oil annually. State-owned oil company Rosneft signed a letter of intent with Texas-based Marathon Oil to ship Russian oil to North America through Omisalj, "Vedomosti" reported on 17 December, raising the question of quotas in conditions of limited initial volume. TNK spokesman Vladimir Bobylev told "Finansovye izvestiya" on 17 December, "The project allows us to organize a new outlet for Russian oil...and makes it possible to take aim at the American market." DK