PARIS, January 19. /TASS/. While the European Union depends on Russia in the oil and gas import sphere, gaining more independence should not entail severing ties with Moscow, President of France Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday during the presentation of the program of France’s presidency in the EU at the European Parliament’s session in Strasbourg.

"We need to create conditions for sovereignty and it means greater independence from Russia," Macron said. "However, when I look at our oil and gas imports, I see we are not independent from Russia," he noted. "We will not become independent tomorrow but it does not mean we should sever ties with Russia; on the contrary, they bring many benefits to us," the President of France said.

"To have influence, the EU should never be in a vulnerable position," Macron noted. "We should hold this discussion in the light of the climate agenda in particular," he said.

"Europe set the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050," the President said. "We should now turn from intentions to business - transform our industry, invest in technologies of the future," Macron said.