The European Union should pursue a more assertive level of diplomacy in the area of energy, European Commission vice-president-designate for energy union Maroš Šefčovič told the TASR press agency after a hearing before European Parliament members in Strasbourg.
He added that the EU's interests in the area of energy should receive a more prominent place in all of the bloc's bilateral and multilateral talks with its partners. "We need to use Europe's voice of unity and the diplomatic potential that we have to push for our interests in the energy sector more assertively”, said Šefčovič. In this connection, the EU's relations with Russia will always have a top priority, and the reasons are two-fold: Russia is the main energy supplier for the EU, and the EU is currently going through difficult times marked by tense relations with Moscow. This is partly why the EU needs to find a solution that will take into account the EU's stances and interests and will enable Europeans to avoid the kind of drama seen in energy supplies in 2009. “Obviously, our agenda is clear when it comes to other partners such as China, India, the United States and Brazil; and that is success with talks on an ambitious and binding agreement on the fight against climate change that will be held in Paris next year”, said Šefčovič.
