Washington [US], June 23 (ANI): The US-EU joint Task Force on European Energy Security met virtually on Wednesday (local time), said the White House in a press release.

The sides denounced Russia's continued "energy coercion of European Union Member States and underscored their continued commitment to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels by diversifying Europe's energy supply and taking concrete steps to reduce energy demand through energy efficiency, smart technology deployment and greater use of renewable energy."The meeting was convened by co-chairs Amos Hochstein, U.S. Senior Advisor for Energy Security, and Bjorn Seibert, Head of Cabinet of the European Commission President, and under the leadership of Ditte Juul Jorgensen, European Commission Director General for Energy, and Melanie Nakagawa, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy at the National Security Council.

The discussion focused on reviewing progress since the March 25 Joint Statement by President Joe Biden and European Commission president Von der Leyen and charting its next steps.

Notably, the United States and European Commission established a joint Task Force on March 25, 2022, to ensure energy security for Ukraine and Europe and reduce Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Biden and Ursula von der Leyen had announced a joint Task Force to strengthen European energy security as Russian President Vladimir Putin wages his war of choice against Ukraine, read a White House release.

"We will continue to collaborate to advance the production and use of clean and renewable hydrogen to displace unabated fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions, which will include both technology and supporting infrastructure," the release had read.

The US and the European Commission, at the time of forming this task force, said that it will engage key stakeholders, including the private sector, and deploy immediate recommendations to reduce overall gas demand by accelerating market deployment of clean energy measures. (ANI)