GROZNY, July 17. /TASS/. Russia intends to get back to pre-special military operation gas production levels which fell due to reduced supplies to Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said this in an interview with TASS General Director Andrey Kondrashov on the sidelines of the Caucasus Investment Forum.

"Of course, we will get back there. Levels will be even higher. The decline was due to the reduction in supply volumes in the European direction, we will compensate by focusing on other markets, including the Asia-Pacific region, our partner countries. This includes gas supplies to the CIS," Novak said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the government expects a strong increase in gas consumption on the Russian market due to new gas power plants, the development of the gas supply network and the use of gas motor fuel.

"Therefore, the overall gas consumption in the domestic market will increase. There are a number of regions that don’t have the infrastructure for gas yet, such as [the Republic of] Buryatia, the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Irkutsk Region, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The task has been set to set up gas lines there. This will also increase gas consumption," he said.

Novak added that a significant increase in gas production and demand will be provided by the current program to develop the gas supply system for the period until 2030, which provides for connecting more than three and a half thousand settlements to gas supply lines.

The country also intends to continue to improve energy efficiency and energy saving.

"Thanks to increasing efficiency it will be possible to somewhat reduce [gas] costs," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

The Caucasus Investment Forum is underway in Grozny, Russia’s Chechen Republic, from July 15 to 17. Its program includes more than 60 events, a series of lectures and workshops. TASS is the general media partner of the event.