Government looking to iron out Yamal pipeline issues with Russia

"It is the will of the government to resolve all the problems surrounding the Yamal pipeline," Economy Minister Janusz Steinhoff said on Friday. Earlier the same week in a letter to Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, which was leaked to the press, Russia's energy exporter Gazprom had confirmed similar intentions. The Yamal pipeline, whose Polish stretch is controlled by EuroPolGaz company, received media attention early this year after the government declared that state-owned gas monopoly PGNiG has lost control over the pipeline's key facilities, including a telecoms cable running adjacent to the pipeline. Gazprom and PGNiG own 48% each in EuroPolGaz, with gas importer Bartimpex holding the remaining 4%. It still remains uncertain whether talks between Poland and Russia on the pipeline will take place at an international gas conference scheduled for Feb. 23, whose main topic is Gazprom's plans to build another pipeline via Central Europe to Western Europe. (Reuters)