Presidents of Poland and Ukraine Lech Kaczynski and Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Mirek Topolanek met in Wroclaw, southwest Poland, on Wednesday evening.

The talks focused on the implementation of the gas agreement between Moscow and Kiev, including the transit of gas to EU countries, according to Polish news agency PAP.

President Kaczynski said after the meeting that he considered the January Ukrainian-Russian conflict over natural gas deliveries equally dangerous as the August military conflict between Russia and Georgia.

There was linkage between the two crises, the president said, adding they were elements of the same policy of "regaining influence and domination in the region."

All EU countries as well as Ukraine and the Black and Caspian seas countries should strive to foil this policy, Kaczynski said.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said after the meeting he would try to persuade his "EU colleagues" to deepen cooperation with Ukraine. The Czech Republic currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Topolanek said he would take as "an attempt to resolve the question of a common energy policy, particularly in the gas and oil sector."

The question of gas will serve as a test for the EU integration, Topolanek said. "Freedom and independence of our countries in the EU depends on gas and oil supplies," he added.

Ukrainian President Yushchenko said that natural gas meant politics and the January conflict was rooted in geopolitical interests.

Addressing EU citizens, Yushchenko declared that there was no Ukrainian politician who would turn off the flow of Russian gas to the EU. If anyone suggested the opposite, it would be a lie, Yushchenko said.

He denied there were any problems with financial settlements between his country and Russia arising out of the gas deliveries. Also, there were no problems with the so-called irregular intake of Russian gas by Ukraine. "There is but one issue in this area, namely Ukraine's pro-European position," the president said.

He thanked Topolanek for his efforts to resolve the gas conflict and recalled that Ukraine and Russia signed fundamental agreements. Although they were not in fact equitable, Ukraine would observe and implement them, he declared.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2009)