AP Photo

The Czech government, in its capacity as president of the EU's Council of Ministers, will host a meeting in Prague next week with central Asian republics. The purpose is to discuss possible energy routes to bring gas from the region to western European markets, bypassing Russia. Last Friday (24 April) Bulgaria, one of the countries worst hit in January by disruption to gas supply from a dispute between Russia and Ukraine, organised a separate energy meeting. The Sofia summit, which was attended by representatives of Caspian and central Asian republics as well as by EU officials, also addressed possible alternative energy routes to Europe and the responsibilities of supplier, transit and energy-importing countries. Two days ago (28 April) Sergei Stanishev, Bulgaria's...