WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Politically motivated efforts to reduce European dependence on Russian natural gas is the wrong approach for the European Union, Eurogas President Gertjan Lankhorst said on Friday.
"There is a strong sentiment in Central and Eastern Europe, that the real danger comes from Russia and that political interference has to make the dependence on Russia lower. I think this is the wrong method," Lankhorst said at a Brookings Institute discussion on Europe’s energy future.
Langhorst argued that Europe has a long history as a net energy importer, which will not change in the near future.
The European Union energy market is approximately 30 percent dependent on Russian energy exports and pipeline infrastructure, according to the EU Commission.
