Mr Lillenurm is Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Russian Embassy in Stockholm. He is a career diplomat who has held numerous posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and abroad. He is an expert on Nordic affairs.
Russia has a specific attitude to the problem of energy safety due to its geographic and economic position as a large-scale exporter, a big consumer of energy supplies and at the same time a prominent transit state. The European Union currently accounts for about 85 percent of the oil and gas exports, but energy consumption grows slowly in Europe and competition is tougher than, for example, in East Asia. Russia intends to diversify its energy policy, which includes expanding to new regions.
