ST. PETERSBURG, October 10. /TASS/. The Russian natural gas industry has already become independent from Western equipment and technologies, Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov said at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.

"If we talk about the import phase-out, we are already 100% independent from the equipment of former partner countries. And we are speaking now about new technologies, about the technological sovereignty that cannot be done in a single country," the minister said.

Russia supports the technological cooperation with friendly countries, Tsivilyov added.