Polish News Agency, Poland
March 2 2007

Polish foreign minister underlines strategic importance of south
Caucasus

Warsaw, 2 March: Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga has told PAP that the
southern Caucasus was a "strategic direction of Polish interests".
She added that there were a number for reasons for Poland’s interest
in Caucasus, including energy security.

During a few-day tour of the region the minister visited Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan. On the way back to Poland, the delegation
made a stop over in Sochi.

Fotyga said that the visit showed how much it was needed and promised
more frequent trips by the Polish authorities to the region.

At the end of March, President Lech Kaczynski is going to pay a visit
to Georgia. According to the foreign minister, Prime Minister
Jaroslaw Kaczynski also has plans to visit the region.

Fotyga added that Poland and its partners in Caucasus were ready to
support certain projects. "We are aware that we support the
development of alternative ways of energy transmission for Europe,"
she added.

According to the foreign minister, Poland’s partners positively
welcomed President Lech Kaczynski’s initiative to organize an energy
summit in Poland.

Minister Fotyga said she had supported the peace process between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and was ready to continue supporting it. "Our
partners are aware of this," she added.

Fotyga said Poland "has monitored the course of negotiations" though,
as she put it, it is a difficult process.