TURKMENISTAN, RUSSIA AGREE ON GAS TRANSIT. Interfax on 18 February quoted an unnamed Turkmen official as saying his government and Russia have agreed on terms for shipping Turkmen natural gas to Ukraine via Russia. For every 1,000 cubic meters of gas shipped by Turkmenistan, Russia will receive $1.75 per 100 kilometers of the 1,050 kilometer pipeline that crosses its territory. BP

UKRAINIAN BORDER GUARDS DETAIN ILLEGAL ALIENS. Nearly 100 illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka were found in a forest in Ukraine on 18 February trying to cross the border into Poland, PAP reported. One Pole was arrested with the group on suspicion of trafficking refugees. Ukrainian border guards said the illegal aliens were attempting to make their way to Germany. Poland's reputation as a transit country for refugees trying to get to the West is a major concern of EU officials and a main reason for the introduction early this year of stricter visa regulations on Poland's eastern border. PB