OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2007. Azerbaijan has interest in transmitting Caspian gas to European countries through Azerbaijan-Georgia-Ukraine route, which envisages the extension of the gas pipeline under the Black Sea.

The statement to this effect has been made by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Ukraine Talyat Museib Aliyev during a meeting with Ukraine's Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan, the Ministry's press-service reported.

Aliyev also said Azerbaijan has a chance to charge the capacity of the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline and provide 5 million tons of oil supply per year for development in the Drohobych Oil Refinery and Nadvornyansk Oil Refinery.

The Ambassador has also expressed interest of the Azerbaijani party in possible participation of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) in oil refining in Ukraine and general sale of oil products on the European market. He suggested studying the issue to set up a joint venture aiming at supplying crude oil to Ukraine.

For his part, the Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister said the energy cooperation in terms of diversification of routes for energy sources transmission will be considered in Kyiv at the regular Energy Security Summit in May, 2008, as well as during the GUAM Countries Summit scheduled for June in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Yuriy Prodan also added that Ukraine will forward a draft conception on the Joint Baltic-Black Sea-Caspian Energy Transmission Area till the Energy Summit.