French President Emmanuel Macron says Nordic leaders have told their European partners it is still impossible to say at this stage who was behind attacks on the Nord Stream pipeline.
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Macron said France had proposed to countries with gas infrastructure in the North and Baltic Seas to launch co-ordinated operations with the French navy to secure and monitor the infrastructure.
He added that infrastructure such as pipelines, cables and satellites were points of vulnerability and needed to be reinforced in the current context of geopolitical tension.
That is one issue that will be discussed in the new forum launched in Prague, the European Political Community, which includes countries in and out of the European Union, Macron said.
Meanwhile, Sweden's foreign ministry said on Friday that Russia's prime minister had sent a letter to the Swedish government requesting a role for Russian authorities in the investigation into the explosions that damaged the pipelines.
A Swedish crime scene investigation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe has found evidence of detonations and prosecutors suspect sabotage.
"On October 6, a letter was received from Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson requesting that Russian authorities and the company Gazprom be involved in the Swedish investigation," the Swedish Foreign Ministry said in an email.
Sweden has previously rejected calls from the Kremlin for Russia to be part of the investigation.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Thursday that Russia would insist on a "comprehensive and open investigation" that includes Russian officials and Gazprom.
"Not to allow the owner (of the pipelines) to witness the investigation means there is something to hide," Zakharova said.
Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks after the pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, were damaged at the start of last week.
Europe, which previously relied on Russia for about 40 per cent of its gas, is facing an energy crisis after the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has drastically cut supplies of the fuel.
Australian Associated Press
