Brussels, 24/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the European Council of 8 and 9 March, the foreign affairs ministers of the Union, meeting in Brussels on Monday, held an exchange of views on the "external relations" plank of the package on energy and climate change adopted by the Commission on 10 January (EUROPE 9341). Several Member States, taking the same line as the Commission, stressed the importance of granting a "central place" to energy within the external relations at the Union. Furthermore, the ministers defined four essential themes for the triennial action plan (2007-2009), which the European Council agreed at its December meeting to adopt next March (EUROPE 9329), among the energy policy priorities for Europe. These themes will be: - the diversification of energy supply (sources and types, transport itineraries); - the partnership between the Union and Russia (particularly the chapter on energy, within the framework of the new partnership and cooperation agreement, including the principles laid down by the Treaty of the Energy Charter); - the reinforcement of energy relations with the neighbouring countries and regions of the Union; - extending energy relations with the principal consumer countries, such as the United States, China and India, particularly in terms of the fight against climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Lastly, several Member States welcomed the proposed energy partnership with Africa. (eh)