he Croatian MFA keeps close contact with the representatives of Croatian companies working in Iraq...

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps close contact with the representatives of Croatian companies working in Iraq.

CROSCO Company currently has 175 employees in Syria, 104 in Oman, 29 in Qatar, and some in medium risk Libya and Tunis.

According to information received from CROSCO, despite the fact that these are all high risk countries, work and life continue normally. Except for the state of alert, so far no other restrictions have been imposed, and CROSCO continues its work.

All activities related to the protection of employees and resources are being co-ordinated in co-operation with the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that has assisted in providing documents and securing all necessary conditions. Crisis headquarters have been established at all sites and evacuation plans have been worked out.

CROSCO works for the Croatian INA Naftaplin and Syrian Al Furath, co-owned by the Syrian national company SPC and Scello. Apart from the workers from Croatia, working at the plants are workers from Hungary and Poland that are also included in the protection programme. Supplies of food, water and medical material have been secured at all sites. Croatian workers in Syria are under organised protection by the Syrian authorities, and consular assistance is provided by the Austrian Embassy.

In Oman, CROSCO works for the national company Petroleum Development Oman, the co-owner of Shell, and the American company Anadarko. All of the works are land-based.

In Qatar, CROSCO works in co-operation with the American company Noble Drilling, TotalFinaElf, and at the sea with Panon. Croatian workers have been included in all evacuation plans along with the US workers. Another group of workers is working on the land for the Al Baida Company, which works for the Qatar Ministry of Agriculture. Evacuation plans for the Croatian workers have been developed in co-operation with the Bosnian Embassy to Qatar, which represents Croatia's interests in that country.

It is important to point out that the leading people of CROSCO and INA pay regular visits to workers in the filed, and that workers' shifts are changed every 28 to 35 days. The last one was changed 19 March.

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