KIEV, Sept. 15 - Ukraine and Kazakhstan on Thursday signed an agreement to build an Odessa oil pipeline link that would help to boost shipments of Russian and Caspian Sea crude via Ukraine.

UkrTransNafta, the state-owned oil shipper, and Kazmunaigaz, the Kazakh state oil and gas company, signed the agreement that calls for setting up a 50-50 joint venture that will invest in the project.