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Czech Republic: should reduce energy dependence on Russia within five years, says PM

The Czech Republic should reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources within five years, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Saturday, describing the current situation as one of the “biggest security threats” to the country.

The Member State of the European Union meets its gas needs almost entirely through transport coming directly or indirectly from Russia, while about half of its crude oil imports come from the same source.

Fiala told the congress of the Democratic People’s Party that the country’s energy sector must change “completely”.

“Our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia, which has been neglected for years, is one of the biggest threats to our country’s security. Our goal should be to get completely out of this Russian energy loop within the next five years “, said Fiala.

He added that his government should prepare this “five-year plan” in the coming weeks.

The European Union has pledged to abandon Russian fuel by 2027 and will present a detailed plan to achieve this in May.

The 27-member bloc approved new sanctions against Russia this week, including a ban on coal imports from August, as it seeks to punish Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.

Moscow calls its attack a “special military operation” to demilitarize its neighbor. Ukraine and its Western backers call it a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.

The EU launched a platform for its member states on Friday to jointly purchase natural gas and liquefied natural gas, as they seek to reduce their dependence on Russian fuel and create a cushion against supply shocks.

Source: Capital

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