"Attempts to limit Gazprom's activities in the European market and to politicize questions of gas supplies" would "not produce good results", Alexei Miller, the chief executive of the state-controlled monopoly, is reported to have said, initiating fresh European concern over Russia's reliability as an energy partner. "It should not be forgotten that we are actively seeking new markets, such as North America and China," Mr Miller added. Ferran Tarradellas Espuny, a spokesman for the EU's Latvian Energy commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, said the statement "gives grounds to our concerns on the growing foreign dependency of European energy supply" and underlines the "need to diversify both the origin of our supplies and our supply routes". However, the declaration from Moscow can also be seen not as a threat to cut off EU nations, but as Gazprom making it clear that it will fulfil its contracts with its European clients. The comments were prompted more by Gazprom's commercial ambitions and fears in Moscow that the UK will block the Russian giant's efforts to buy the UK gas supplier Centrica. Behind the scenes, a dispute has been simmering for months as Gazprom seeks to expand its interests by moving into the lucrative business of retailing energy in Europe rather than just providing gas to western firms. In return for such a move, the European Commission has called on Moscow to allow European companies to use Russia's pipeline network for the transit of energy from the Caspian or beyond. That demand was rejected by President Vladimir Putin in a meeting with Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission's president, last month. The Russians have signed an outline agreement to supply China with gas from western Siberia, which produces most of what Europe imports. Analysts say that Russia remains dependant on Europe as an energy customer, though, with prices soaring, feels confident enough to play different blocs off against each other.