02/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - At a press conference after a meeting with the president of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers, in Riga on Thursday 1 October, the president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) stressed the importance of a common EU energy policy as a mechanism for strengthening its member states' economic independence. The former Polish foreign minister said that the common energy policy should focus on boosting interconnections and diversification of electricity and gas supplies as this would provide member states with greater security of supply, even in times of crisis, and reduce reliance on a single supplier. It would also provide cheaper energy in the EU. Buzek welcomed Latvia's commitment to introducing a European energy policy through the work of the Latvian who is currently EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, and whom Riga is proposing for a second term of office. (E.H./transl.fl)