Final Word from Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Curiously, Czech ministers are downplaying the level of the CR's dependence on Russia for energy. Industry Minister Martin Říman, who usually warns against eastern influences, told Právo that Václav Bartuška's energy-security report overestimated the Russian threat. The CR is only one-third dependent on Russia for energy, he said. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said the CR took steps to avoid being dependent on Russia for oil and gas. Bartuška's report tells a different story. The CR imported 71% of its oil in 2005 from Russia, 18.7% from Azerbaijan and 0% from the West. Its natural gas came 99.4% from Russia. Theoretically, 25.4% came from Norway, but Russia actually delivered this gas on the basis of swap operations. The ministers might fear that if people understood how dependent the CR truly is, they'd take Russia's threats about missile-defense more seriously.[Czech Republic special envoy natural gas radar station United States U.S.]