MINSK, February 25 (BelTA) - Belarus has always been a reliable country for the transit of Russian energy resources to the European Union, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Igor Petrishenko told a seminar, which gathered heads of working groups of the National Assembly in charge of cooperation with foreign states, on February 25. “Our country has never given Europeans a reason to doubt the reliability of the transit route via Belarus,” said the official. He remarked that transit via Belarus accounts for around 30% of Russian gas and 40% of Russian oil supplied to Western Europe countries. “Working hard to build up and enhance cooperation with Russia, we have never turned our back on Europe. The Western vector of our foreign policy has never been second-rate,” added Igor Petrishenko. “The European Union is one of the most important trade and economic partners of Belarus,” stressed the official. He reminded that in 2008 Belarus’ trade turnover with European Union countries totalled $33 billion.

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