"We need to boost our own energy security and your (oil) could become a key factor in this," he told a briefing after meeting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

"Kazakhstan is a very important oil supplier to the Czech Republic, we believe there is huge scope for cooperation, as we are moving away from Russian oil," said Fiala who gave no detail about the potential increase in Kazakh oil purchases.

Kazakhstan, Russia's southern neighbour, ships crude to Europe via pipelines most of which cross Russia, although it has this year significantly boosted shipments via alternative routes such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.