The deal was signed by Croatia’s economy minister Ljubo Jurcic, Russia's deputy energy minister Vladimir Stanyev, Ukraine's deputy state secretary Jury Anatolyevich Boyko, the vice president of Belarus' state oil pipeline and chemical concern Belneftekhim, Sergei Mihailovich Mishin, the Hungarian economy and transport ministry's deputy state secretary, Gyorgy Hatvani, and the Slovakian economy ministry's state secretary Laszlo Pomothy. The agreement covers the technical integration of the two 3,200-km long oil pipelines connecting Samara in Russia with Croatia's tanker port and terminal in Omisalj, and has enormous economic significance for Croatia, said the country’s Prime Minister Ivica Racan. Croatia's participation in the project reflects the government's decision to focus on infrastructure projects which are vital for the state's long-term economic development, he added. The Druzba and Adria pipelines meet in Hungary's Szazhalombatti, and already transport oil from Russia to Sisak in Croatia. Croatia will now build an extension to transport the oil onwards from Sisak to Omisalj, in a US$20-million project to be constructed by the end of this year. The agreement is valid for ten years with automatic renewal for the next decade unless the parties agree to the contrary. Opening-up the port of Omisalj in this way gives Russia's oil producers access to new markets, including the United States. Besides economic integration, the Druzba-Adria project has considerable political and security significance for the countries involved, as it merges the energy policies of the Russian Federation and the European Union, among other aspects.