Odessa-Brody oil pipeline issue

Not until February 7 will the name of the new President of Ukraine be known but its current Foreign Minister Petr Poroshenko states nevertheless that in the first half of February the Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers will meet to discuss the Eurasian oil transportation corridor. Of course this project is in Ukraine’s interest, but the question is whether the new President of Ukraine will follow the country's present course.

The project envisages transporting Caspian oil to Odessa, Brody, Plock and Gdansk, bypassing Russia. If the pipeline continues to the Belarus town of Mazyr it will also be involved in the project.

This pipeline is considered to be one way Europe can reduce its dependency on Russian oil. However relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have recently developed new dimensions. Previously Azerbaijan used Western orientation to counterbalance Moscow but now its plans to transport oil and gas to the West have been more or less realised through other pipelines it can redirect its attention to Russia and develop new types of bilateral relations.

Russia is also reconsidering its attitude to Azerbaijan, establishing good neighbourly relations with it. Russia has started treating Azerbaijan as an equal partner and Azerbaijan feels more confident due to the existing pipelines.