| | Tallinn, Stenbock House, 20 September 2007 – Considering the sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia in territorial waters and national interests in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone, the Government decided at today’s cabinet meeting not to agree to issue a permit for the survey application of Nord Stream AG.
According to the survey permit application, the planned extensive surveys cover a large part of the Republic of Estonia’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the Gulf of Finland. Also, the survey area extends into the territorial waters of the Republic of Estonia.
Since surveys of the continental shelf require drilling and would provide information on the amount and utilisation possibilities of Estonia’s natural resources, the Republic of Estonia has the right to refuse to give permission for the surveys.
Nord Stream AG submitted the application for a survey permit in the exclusive economic zone to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 31 May 2007. According to the data presented in the survey permit application Nord Stream AG wished to perform geophysical and geotechnical surveys, visual inspections, and to take sediment samples in the Estonian exclusive economic zone.
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