Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has paid an official working visit to Poland. At an energy summit in Krakow, the presidents of Poland, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Lithuania signed a joint communique on cooperation in efforts to shore up Europe's energy security and seek alternative routes for the movement of energy resources between states. The leaders reached an agreement on the creation of a new European energy corridor by which energy resources from Caspian Sea basin countries will reach Europe while bypassing Russia.

The summit was also attended by the Kazakh energy minister, who was serving as representative of the Kazakh president.

A new pipeline of a scale similar to that of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan will transport Azeri and Kazakh gas through Georgia to Poland and ultimately, to the whole of Europe. A special commission will be created in the coming days that will found an international corporation. The new company will operate the future pipeline.

"We have laid the groundwork for a new oil route that will operate in parallel to Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan. This route assigns great strategic significance to gas as well. Despite much resistance, we still managed to reach a comprehensive agreement," President Saakashvili said.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski also commented on the issue, saying that more meetings would be held in the future.

"An international corporation will be created that will work under the direct supervision of these countries' presidents. Exporter countries will be actively involved in this process. Energy resources will be supplied to Europe from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan," Kaczynski said.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia