(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 20 FEB - The new multi-purpose terminal at the former Aquila refinery area in the Port of Trieste "will be operational by 2028." This was announced by the Hungarian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Levente Magyar, during a press briefing following a meeting with the Italian Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Edoardo Rixi, to review the progress of the works. Rixi explained that the terminal project by the Hungarian state-owned company Adria Port is "a joint venture between Italy and Hungary." With this initiative, "we are combining the Mediterranean logistics capacity of our country with one of the highest exporting nations, Hungary, and opening up to Central and Eastern Europe.This is a symbol of brotherhood, community, and peace, as well as growth prospects for the entire European continent." "It has taken a lot of effort to get here, and much more will be required, especially to overcome obstacles related to environmental issues. I must say I don't understand the environmental bureaucracy in Italy, but I admit I don't understand the European one either. The land requires remediation because the area was previously used as a natural gas hub, but in any case, our goal is to be operational by 2028," underlined Magyar. "Hungary's access to the sea is through Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, and Germany, but the project started with our Italian partners has proven to be the best." Regarding environmental concerns, Rixi mentioned, "On Monday, we will have a meeting in Rome with all the stakeholders, and it should be decisive." The terminal will be built on a 32-hectare Aquilinia (Muggia) area. At the end of the meeting, the two deputy ministers and regional councilor Pierpaolo Roberti visited the construction site where work on the quay wall and dredging had already started. The estimated cost of building the new terminal is about 200 million euros. (ANSA).