RIGA, Feb. 10 - This year's abnormally cold winter has unveiled the problem with Russian gas supplies to Europe and should give the European Union and Russia the push they need to create a gas transport consortium, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said during a lecture at the University of Latvia in Riga on Friday.

"This abnormal winter has shown that everything is not well from the perspective of gas supplies to Europe," he said.

"Cold weather has settled in Italy, and it has begun receiving 15% less gas. And we say, 'Why didn't you invest funds in modernizing our gas transport system? We have the possibility to supply 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas at the outlet. And after modernization, we could supply 200 bcm,'" Azarov said.