Polish-Ukrainian Stand on Oil and Gas Supplies Project Analyzed

Ukraine and Poland intend to work out a plan of joint action on participation in the project to transport oil and gas from Russia and Central Asia to Europe. The announcement has been made by Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council (RNBOU) on the results of RNBOU Secretary Yevhen Marchuk’s official visit to Poland on November 2-4. Poland is reported “to soon initiate an international conference on oil and gas transport at which common action by Ukraine and Poland on the pipelines from Russia and Central Asia to Europe will be worked out.” During the visit special attention was devoted to the issues of joint action to build the Odessa-Brody-Gdansk oil pipeline and the possibility of Ukraine’s participation in leading the gas pipeline from Russia through the territory of Poland to Europe, Interfax-Ukraine reports. A tentative agreement to hold the Advisory Committee session of the Ukrainian and Polish presidents in late September 2001 has been reached.