During an official visit to Kiev, Polish Presedent Lech Kaczynski and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a joint declaration on improvement of cooperation in the sphere of power sector development.

The document envisages the development of Ukrainian-Polish joint gas projects and projects related to the supply of electricity and transporting of oil. A separate chapter in the document is dedicated to work on completing the construction of the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline to the Polish town of Plock (Pronounced Plotsk).

As the Polish President said, on the issue of completing the oil pipeline the signed declaration refers to agreements signed earlier in 2003. "This declaration is meant to solve the problem of completion of the Odessa-Brody-Plotsk pipeline and farther to the south,” said Kaczynski.

He also reminded that the problem of the oil pipeline construction is being discussed on the EU level and between Poland and Ukraine. "Regardless of all the arguments of the EU, we, Poland and Ukraine, are intensively studying this issue. The terms of the study constitute 3 months. The plans president Yushchenko showed me are to a great extent related to this pipeline," Kaczynski explained. He also noted that since this pipeline will transport oil now the issues of the sources of oil and consumers are also being discussed.

In turn Yushchenko pointed out the need for the development of a new energy concept between the two countries. "We needed a new concept of energy security that would correlate with the mutual national interests of Ukraine and Poland. The Ukrainian side is grateful to the Russian side for the support it received during the recent grave situation with Ukraine's energy supply," Yushchenko said.

The importance of transport energy corridors for supplying Caspian oil in Europe was also discussed during the last visit of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Anatoliy Kinakh to Poland. The project of supplying energy resources from Central Asia through Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Black Sea, Ukraine and Poland to Europe was recognized the priority.

By Oleksa Vovk 

Kiev Weekly

March 8, 2006