Controversial Russian/Dutch port project gets greenlight

The build of a controversial Russian oil terminal in the Rotterdam port is getting the go-ahead from the Rotterdam city government, despite criticism from the Cabinet and in the Rotterdam City Council about the bad timing with the Russian trade war, the Algemeen Dagblad reports. GroenLinks MP Liesbeth van Tongeren says that the least that should happen is that the authorization of the permit to build the terminal should be put on hold. "It's strange to punish Russia on one side and to get cozy working together on a terminal on the other side. This can't happen right now", Van Tongeren tells the Algemeen Dagblad. Port alderman for Rotterdam, Pex Langenberg (D66) says that this does not fall under the Russia sanctions. The build of a massive terminal to house Russian oil tankers in the Europort is "of strategic importance to The Netherlands as energy junction", he says. GroenLinks believes that Langeren is making economic issues more important than they should be at this time and in this situation.