Brussels, 19/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - Taking part in the annual investors conference on 19 June in Moscow, Gerhard Schröder said that Europe “had no reliable alternative to Russian energy” with regard to its hydrocarbon imports. Mr Schröder added, “there is no region in the world more stable than Russia with regard to oil and gas deliveries”. Mr Schröder is head of a consortium shareholders' committee, which is expected to build a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea linking up Russia and Germany. Mr Schröder said that, “the energy partnership between Russia and Europe will benefit the two parties. Inter-dependency can lead to political trust” and he called on Europeans to “take Russian pride into account” and not think that they are indebted for their energy purchases. In a reference to the difficulties encountered by the Russian gas company Gazprom in acquiring assets in the Union's gas distribution network, he insisted that, “Russian companies should have the same opportunities (of expansion) on the European market as European companies in Russia”. While Europeans believe that they should be able to directly participate in the extraction and transport of Russian gas on a “reciprocal level”, Moscow remains opposed to it and defends Gazprom's monopoly over Russian gas exports. Mr Schröder also defended Moscow's position during the gas conflict between Kiev at the beginning of the year, “I don't think Russia's reputation has suffered”, he asserted, adding that, “this involved the question of the market…a sovereign state hast to pay a market price for its gas…At the time Ukraine was paying USD 50 for 1,000 cubic metres of gas, Germany was paying USD 240”. He described the privilege afforded Ukraine as “stupefying”.