Gazprom OAO (GAZP.RS) must play by European Union market rules and stop charging western and eastern member states different gas prices, EU energy chief Guenther Oettinger said Friday.

" Russia is our most important partner because of imports of oil, coal, uranium and gas," Oettinger, the EU's energy commissioner told reporters during a visit to Lithuania , which has locked horns with Gazprom.

"But what we need is a level playing field. What we need is fair conditions. In the long term, we should avoid different prices for gas. Gas is gas. And the gas price in Berlin or Paris is much lower than in Vilnius ," he added.

The European Commission--the executive body and competition watchdog of the 27-nation EU--last week announced a probe into Gazprom's actions in eight member states which were once part of the communist bloc and still rely on Russian gas.

Besides Lithuania , the countries allegedly affected by Gazprom's practices are Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , Estonia , Hungary , Latvia , Poland and Slovakia .

The investigation centers on Gazprom's use of long-term contracts to lock in prices that are tied to that of oil--a policy that often leaves its supplies far more expensive than those available on the open market.

The probe has sparked an angry reaction from Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Oettinger insisted that Brussels simply wanted fair treatment for all E.U. members.

"At the end of the day we want to continue our relationship with Gazprom on a market-based foundation and equal conditions for all member states," he said.

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