The European Union's chief diplomat, Javier Solana, called for clear energy regulations with Russia ahead of a summit to agree a new EU-Russia partnership and cooperation deal in an interview published Thursday.
"The new agreement should reflect the changes in both Russia and the EU, and lay a good ground for the very wide and diverse co- operation that we have today, and which we want to expand further in the years to come," Solana told Interfax news agency.
"The whole complex of energy-related issues is one of the most important elements of our relations with Russia, reported dpa.
"It is an area where our interdependence is very strong, and it is only natural that this should be reflected in the new agreement.
"Security of supply is certainly a very important issue for the EU, and something that we will continue to raise with our Russian partners," Solana said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is due to meet with EU leaders in the oil-rich Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk Thursday evening. It is Medvedev's first summit since becoming president.
On Friday, negotiations are due to begin to draw up a new partnership and cooperation agreement between the two sides to replace the previous agreement from 1994.