(CIANEWS) - The goal of reducing gas consumption by 800 million m3 compared to last winter has so far been more than half achieved by the Czech Republic. The Minister of Industry and Trade, Josef Síkela (for STAN), said that although the weather was cold compared to previous years, gas consumption was significantly lower than in previous years. According to J. Síkela, this strengthens the certainty that the Czech Republic will handle the beginning of winter without any problems. It also contributes to the fact that the price of gas remains stable. J. Síkela added that even though gas stocks fell last week, it was a significantly lower decline than in previous years. Domestic stocks are therefore still successfully being kept at a higher level than they were in previous years.