Russian President To Meet Polish Premier

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, currently on an official visit to Moscow. On Wednesday, Miller held talks with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Kasyanov. The Russian and Polish Prime Ministers instructed the two country's governments to draft an understanding on cooperation in the gas industry for Vladimir Putin's visit to Warsaw scheduled for January. According to the Russian Prime Minister, the document implies not only the construction of a transit pipeline Yamal-Western Europe but also the general concept of cooperation in the gas sphere. Kasyanov and Miller also discussed Polish investment in the economy of the Kaliningrad region (Russia's semi-enclave on the Baltic Sea), cross border cooperation, visa issues, and the opening of new crossing points at the borders. The Russian and Polish Prime Ministers are interested in the construction of a broad gauge railway from Russia via Poland in order to facilitate the transit of Russian and Asian goods.