Azernews.Az

In an interview with Azerbaijani journalists on Thursday, he said the Eastern European state bound great hopes with the resource-rich South Caucasus republic to diversify its own and European energy supplies. In exchange, Warsaw is ready to support Baku in its efforts at Azerbaijan's European integration, future admission to the World Trade Organization, and by sharing experience and providing credit assistance for the implementation of infrastructure projects.
Poland's hopes were raised by the deal on exporting Caspian oil to European markets signed at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania last Wednesday. Discussions on developing the project as well as bilateral ties will be continued at a meeting of the Polish-Azeri economic commission in Baku November 7-8.
The agreement, signed by Azerbaijan, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Georgia, could be seen as a drive to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian oil. The presidents of the five states and an envoy of the Kazakh head of state agreed to establish a consortium that will deliver Azeri crude from the Caspian to Poland and the Baltic Sea, bypassing Russia. Under the project, a $700 million, 500-km extension is to be built to the existing pipeline in western Ukraine. The investment is estimated initially at some $400 million.
The Odessa-Brody pipeline currently in operation links the Ukrainian cities Odessa at the Black Sea, and Brody near the Ukrainian-Polish border. The 667 km-long conduit, built in 1996-2001 for over $100 million, will be further extended to Plock and Gdansk in Poland.
Poland relies on Russia for its energy resources and is in talks with the Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to reduce its dependence. In particular, after Warsaw defended Kiev in its row with Moscow over gas supplies last year, Poland sees a looming threat to its energy security. The concerns were amplified after Russia announced a decision that its new gas pipeline would be built by-passing Poland and Lithuania. In March 2007, the Polish president sealed a letter of intent on energy cooperation in Baku. The Azerbaijani leader is expected to pay a reciprocal visit to Warsaw in the first half of 2008. The two countries are to discuss a wide range of issues - from politics to energy - during President Ilham Aliyev's visit.