Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra Thursday said the European Union should push for diversifying its energy supplies to mitigate any future stalled Russian natural gas shipments through Ukraine.
"Diversification is one of the important measurers to take in future," Vondra said.
The Czech Republic holds the rotating E.U. presidency and efforts to restart gas shipments from Russia, currently affecting 18 out of 27 E.U. member states, have featured high its agenda.
Russia is currently the key gas supplier for most E.U. countries. It has faced repeated problems with some former Soviet countries over transit fees for the E.U.-bound gas.
Alternative gas pipelines that skirt both Ukraine and Belarus would connect Russian gas fields directly with the E.U. gas pipeline networks.
Such projects, currently under construction, are Nord Stream, a pipeline under the North Sea, and South Stream, a pipeline under the Black Sea. Another alternative route, known as Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy, or ITGI, and Nabucco, can bring gas from the Caspian Sea area, mainly Azerbaijan, straight to the E.U. through Turkey.
Before such new pipelines are brought online the E.U. can make its own energy networks more efficient, Vondra said.
"Europe should boost the interconnection of its energy networks, not only pipelines but power grids too," Vondra said.
On the ongoing talks to resume gas supplies from Russia, Vondra said the E.U. hasn't yet concluded its negotiations with officials from Russian gas producer OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) and Ukrainian pipeline operator Naftogaz.
"The issue of resuming gas supplies hasn't been resolved yet," Vondra said, adding to his knowledge details on dispatching E.U. monitors to Russia and Ukraine to solve the problem are "still being worked out."
Nevertheless Vondra reiterated earlier E.U. comments that Russia and Ukraine must resume gas supplies and transit immediately.
"It's already late now and tomorrow will be a crucial test day for whether the stalled supplies are resumed," he said.