Environmental Groups Condemn Japanese and French Banks for Financing Sakhalin II Oil and Gas Project in Russia
(Friends of the Earth Japan, Tokyo, 16 June 2008) Environmental organizations today condemned the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and four private banks' June 16 decision to provide approximately 5.3 billion dollars in financing for the problematic Sakhalin II oil and gas project in the Russian Far East. JBIC (the Japan government's official export credit agency), Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Japan), Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd (Japan), Sumitomo Mitsui Bank Corp (Japan) and BNP Paribas (France) have severely violated their environmental policies by financing Sakhalin II, according to the groups.
 A. Photo report from Sakhalin fact finding mission
From May 28 to June 2, 2008, representatives of Sakhalin Environment Watch, Friends of the Earth Japan and Pacific Environment conducted a fact-finding mission along the pipeline right of way for the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project. During the trip, these groups documented serious violations of public and private bank policies, and internationally accepted practice and Russian law. This photo report provides graphic evidence of these violations.
 A. Photo report from Sakhalin fact finding mission
From May 28 to June 2, 2008, representatives of Sakhalin Environment Watch, Friends of the Earth Japan and Pacific Environment conducted a fact-finding mission along the pipeline right of way for the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project. During the trip, these groups documented serious violations of public and private bank policies, and internationally accepted practice and Russian law. This photo report provides graphic evidence of these violations.