Odessa-Brody talks develop in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Lithuania, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Lithuania Tuesday played host to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko for talks on transporting oil from the Odessa-Brody pipeline to Lithuanian refineries.

The Odessa-Brody pipeline was intended to diversify regional natural resource corridors as Russia increased its hold on the energy sector. The pipeline carries around 105 million barrels of oil per year.

Lithuania had looked to Caspian reserves amid supply concerns from Russia. Expanding into Poland would move toward planned goals of linking Odessa-Brody to oil terminals in Gdansk, and ultimately onto Lithuania.

Yushchenko will meet Tuesday with his Lithuanian counterpart, Valdas Adamkus, as well as Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, the Platts news service reported.

"A special emphasis in the talks will be made on cooperation in the energy sector," a statement from Yushchenko's office said.

The Odessa-Brody pipeline is moving in the reverse direction to ports in the Black Sea, though Yushchenko has long pressed for directing the flow of oil back to its intended direction toward European markets.