INTERVIEW-Czech PM opposes separate energy deals with Russia

BLED, Slovenia, Aug 31 (Reuters) - European Union members should stop making individual energy deals with Moscow, which has shown it is determined to keep its energy monopoly, the Czech prime minister said on Sunday.

"Russia is giving us a message that it wishes to keep its energy monopoly, that it does not want alternative routes from Middle Asia to Europe and we have to consider this message," Mirek Topolanek told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of an energy conference in Slovenia.

"In the medium term ... we (the EU) need a unified approach in the energy area, there is no sense for each European country to make a separate deal with Russia," he added.

The EU is pushing the Nabucco pipeline, which seeks to bring Azeri and Central Asian gas to Europe through Turkey, and a trans-Caspian pipeline that would allow Central Asian counties like Turkmenistan to export gas without crossing Russia.

These pipelines have struggled to get off the ground and Topolanek said he would personally advocate their cause.

"Regarding the contract with Russia, I will demand that an energy deal be included in it, that as a European priority the project Nabucco be included in it," Topolanek said.

"If I do not succeed in this then Russia has won this battle," he added.

Another problem for Europe is that some of its heavyweights, like Germany and Italy, tend to back projects that secure their own energy supplies, like the Nordstream gas pipeline and Southstream, a rival to Nabucco backed by Russia's Gazprom.

Analysts say Russia could only profit from Europe's lack of unity.

"The Russian message (that it wants to keep its energy monopoly) ... is not a positive message for Europe," Topolanek said. (Reporting by Marja Novak, Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic and Mary Gabriel)