Kasyanov Says Pipeline Agreement Reached with Poland

The Polish government will reach a decision on the construction of a gas pipeline on Polish territory from Belarus to Slovakia, bypassing Ukraine, in the near future, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said at a news conference after a meeting with his Polish counterpart Jerzy Buzek. Experts submitted documents to the Polish government recently, regarding the route of the pipeline, the Russian prime minister said. According to Kasyanov, this is the second option for the pipeline route, which "removes Polish anxieties that the pipeline might cause damage to ecologically clean regions in the country." "I hope that a final decision on the route of the pipeline will be reached without delay," he said. According to the Russian prime minister, the issue of building the pipeline to bypass Ukraine should not be tied to the construction of the Yamal-Western Europe pipeline, which also passes through Poland. The Russian side "is ready to consider the Polish side's worries" connected with the construction of the Yamal-Western Europe pipeline. Kasyanov confirmed that Russia will guarantee Poland's fuel requirements.