Leaders Discuss New Pipeline in Vilnius

The construction of a new pipeline to transport Caspian oil to Europe through Georgia and Ukraine was discussed at an energy summit in Vilnius on October 10.

The leaders of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Poland and Lithuania, as well as the Kazakh energy minister, participated in the summit.

The pipeline will, if built, transport Azeri and Kazakh oil through Georgia and Ukraine to Poland and on to western European markets. Crucially, it will bypass Russia.

During the conference, energy ministers from the six countries signed a joint agreement on setting up a special group to study the technical feasability of the project. 

?Cooperation among the six countries has shown that we can work together and implement joint projects,? the Georgian president?s press office quoted President Saakashvili as saying.

As well as the energy summit, Vilnius also hosted a meeting of GUAM leaders ? a grouping of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

?Ten years ago, when this organization was established, nobody took it seriously,? Saakashvili said in his address, ?but today it is a very important international organization, which is cooperating with the UN, OSCE and NATO.?

?GUAM is a bridge between our Soviet past and European future,? he added.

President Saakashvili, who has already visited Denmark and Lithuania, will visit Finland on October 11.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)