Avoiding Past Mistakes: Europe's Energy Dilemma

International Energy Agency's Executive Director Fatih Birol warns against relying on Russia for future gas supplies due to the global LNG market. Amid the Middle East crisis, he stresses not repeating Europe's past energy dependency on Russia. Birol's comments follow meetings with EU officials.

Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, expressed concerns on Friday about reverting to Russian gas supplies amid a significant shift in global LNG availability. He emphasized that this move could be both economically and politically unwise.

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has sparked discussions on whether Europe should reconsider its stance on Russian energy. Birol's remarks came after he addressed reporters post-meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU commissioners on global energy markets.

Highlighting past errors, Birol noted that Europe's historical reliance on a single country for energy, namely Russia, was a significant mistake. This caution serves as a reminder for the region to diversify its energy sources in the future.

(With inputs from agencies.)