Ukraine says Euro-Asian oil project talks in final stage

KIEV. April 10. KAZINFORM. The Ukrainian president said on Thursday the talks on the Euro-Asian oil transport corridor, a project set to pump Caspian oil to Europe bypassing Russia, are in their final stage; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

"Today we confirm that the dialogue on the Euro-Asian oil transport corridor, which envisages the transportation of Caspian oil to European countries, is effectively in its final stage," Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said. The main element of the project is the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline which Ukraine started building in 2001. Separate legs of around 500 km have yet to be built in both Ukraine and Poland. The project has a western branch running to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria, and northern and eastern branches to Poland and Belarus, Ukraine's presidential envoy for energy security issues, Bohdan Sokolovskyi, said earlier on Thursday; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.