The Czech Europe Minister Mikuláš Bek sees Europe confronted with an autocratic Moscow-Beijing axis in the long term and in an interview with the “Presse” calls for an EU counter-strategy in the Western Balkans.
The press: A central goal of the Council Presidency is energy security in the EU, which is threatened by the consequences of the Ukraine war. How delicate is the situation, particularly with regard to the supply of Russian gas?
Mikuláš Bek: I am very happy that we are acting in solidarity on the gas issue in Europe. I take a very positive view of the EU’s gas emergency plan.
According to this, the member states should reduce their gas consumption between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 by at least 15 percent compared to their average gas consumption in the five years before. Was the agreement in the Council foreseeable from the outset?
We weren’t so sure. However, despite some exceptions, there was a shared responsibility in almost all EU member states. What pleases me personally is that there is very close cooperation between the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland on energy issues. In recent months there has also been a very intensive exchange with Vienna. Because we have the same challenges. The EU’s emergency plan is only a first step and not the final solution to our problem. The further behavior of Russia will be decisive for the future.
Can you still trust Moscow?