Stockholm - A US diplomat Wednesday urged Sweden to "take the lead" in efforts within Europe to reduce dependence on energy supplies from Russia.

Stockholm should also "carefully consider" plans by a consortium to build an underwater Baltic Sea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, the US ambassador to Sweden, Michael M Wood, said in an op-ed article in the Svenska Dagbladet daily.

The 1,200-kilometre pipeline would run from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald, Germany. The Nord Stream AG consortium has ruled out a land-based route.

The consortium includes Russian gas giant Gazprom, Germany's BASF/Wintershall and EON Ruhrgas, and Dutch group Gasunie.

"Nord Stream bypasses the Baltic states and Poland, potential consumers, and offers a special a arrangement between Germany and Russia. The EU should adopt a common approach to tackle Russia's possibilities to use energy as a means to bring about pressure," Wood said.

Wood noted that Europe, like the United States, was dependent on imports of oil and gas and needed to be "aware" of the threats this dependency could incur.

The US diplomat noted that "Russia does not hestitate to use energy as a means to apply pressure," referring to cuts of supplies to Ukraine in 2006 and to Estonia in May
2007.

The recent events in Georgia was also a blow to the Nabucco project, a pipeline slated to transport Caspian gas to central and western Europe through Georgia via Turkey and Bulgaria, Wood said.

Wood urged more European cooperation to develop alternative energy sources and alternate transport routes for energy, including from Central Asia, that would bypass "the Kremlin's control." (dpa)