Novak said in a statement sent to reporters that Russia was considering the possibility of organising direct energy supplies to Greece and hoped to reach an agreement on this within the next few weeks.

Greece currently buys Russian gas delivered by pipeline via Ukraine and the Balkan countries as well as Russian oil, usually through tenders from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.

(Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Andrew Heavens)