(ANSA) - TRIESTE - Hungary's Mol and Slovakia's Transpetrol have announced the completion of a project ''which is important and strategic issue in Central Europe'', that is the renovation and expansion of a section of the oil pipeline ''Friendship I/Adria'', opened in 1962 and which has become quite decrepit over the years.

The new section was inaugurated in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and Slovakia, Robert Fico.

Through a $ 80 million investment, the pipeline has in fact doubled its capacity, from 3.5 to 6 million tons. A press release issued by Mol reported that the modernization and strengthening of ''Friendship I /Adria'' in the section between Szazhalombatta in Hungary and Ipolysag in Slovakia will enable Hungarian energy giant ''to meet the needs of its refinery in Bratislava'' and ''Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to further diversify their sources of supply, thus improving regional energy security''. Renovation work lasted only a year and involved a 128 km section (119 in Hungary, 9 in Slovakia): some pipes have been replaced, whereas some structures between the two sections have been modernized. Mol has also increased the pipeline's capacity from the Adriatic Sea to Hungary, from 10 to 14 million tons of crude oil per year. (ANSA).