“The sanctions have not hit this project. Moreover, the construction of such oil terminal is of strategic importance for the country and the global oil industry in general”, vice mayor of Port of Rotterdam, member of D66 democratic party, Pex Langenberg, said.

Earlier, a number of Dutch MPs and members of city council urged the port’s authorities to ban or at least freeze the project for a while as Netherlands-Russia relations have worsened because of sanctions. However, this initiative is unlikely to be supported by city authorities, the daily’s statistics say.

The oil hub with a capacity of 3.1 million cubic meters will be finished in Rotterdam port by Russian Summa construction company by the year 2016.