Ukraine Hopes to Bypass Russia

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma would like to boost Ukrainian-Azeri cooperation in oil projects, according to Kuchma's press-secretary Olena Hromnytska.

Kuchma recently met with Azeri Prime Minister Artur Rasizada in Kiev. Coincidentally, on the same day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych called on Azerbaijan to join Ukraine in the project to expand the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline to Plock, Poland.

Yanukovych also proposed that Azerbaijan should take part in processing oil at Ukrainian oil processing plants.