"Russia has been a reliable energy supplier for many years," Vladimir Putin said.
Moscow's reliability as Europe's main energy supplier came under question in early January when a dispute between Russia and Belarus led to a three-day interruption of oil deliveries to Poland, Germany and other European consumers.
Minsk had imposed a transit fee on Russia's Europe-bound crude exports in retaliation for a doubling of the natural gas price Moscow charged Belarus, and Russia's introduction of an oil duty on supplies to its western neighbor. Moscow then accused Minsk of illegally tapping oil from the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline that passes through Belarus, and suspended deliveries via the pipeline, until an agreement was reached in emergency negotiations.
Russia had complained of huge losses inflicted on its budget from crude deliveries to its ex-Soviet neighbor. Belarus refines Russian crude oil and re-exports it at world prices, and until now has paid no taxes to the Russian budget in the process.
President Putin said earlier this week that Russia's energy subsidies for Belarus would reach $5.8 billion in 2007, and that Belarus enjoys Europe's lowest energy prices, but warned that the subsidies would decline in the coming years.
