PRAGUE: The Czech Republic has started to import gas from Algeria in a bid to offset supplies from Russia as it pursues its war on Ukraine, the CEZ power group said on Thursday.

The supplies using pipelines in Tunisia and Italy will cover around two percent of Czech gas consumption, corresponding to the needs of 100,000 households, CEZ spokesman Roman Gazdik said in a statement.

He added that supplies negotiated with Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach company had started in October. "We have taken another step to boost our energy security," said CEZ chief executive Daniel Benes.

A staunch supporter of Kyiv, Prague is already importing gas from Germany, Norway and through a liquefied natural gas terminal in the Netherlands.

The Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people, has been trying to shake off its dependency on Russian oil and gas since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A staunch supporter of Kyiv, Prague is already importing gas from Germany, Norway and through a liquefied natural gas terminal in the Netherlands.

Czechs used 6.76 billion cubic metres of gas in 2023, a drop of 10.4 percent over 2022 owing to savings heavily promoted by the government after the Ukraine invasion.