Czech prime minister says Crimean crisis has emphasized the need to improve energy security in Europe

The crisis in Ukraine has emphasized the need to improve energy security in Europe, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said after Thursday’s meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. The Czech prime minister said that the EU would be in a better position to respond to the Crimean crisis were it not dependent on Russian oil and gas. The Czech Republic has pushed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis taking a cautious stand on economic sanctions. Mr. Sobotka likewise expressed support for the proposal that the political part of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine be signed by the Ukrainian interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, since this would help Kiev’s efforts to maintain the territorial integrity of the country.