ST. PETERSBURG, June 8. /TASS/. The European Union spent more than $630 bln on gas imports from countries other than Russia in 2021 - 2023, which is comparable to Europe’s gas spending over eight years, Head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"After reducing purchases of Russian energy resources, from 2021 to 2023 the European Union spent more than $630 bln on gas imports from other countries. This is comparable to Europe’s total gas spending over the previous eight years," he said.

Sechin also noted that the figure is approaching European investment in green energy over the same period, comparable to the GDP of Sweden and Poland, and almost four times the total GDP of the Baltic countries.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is held on June 5-8. This year’s theme will be "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.