Brussels, 11/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - After a meeting of the Oil Supply Group convened on Thursday to assess the impact that the interruption in Russian oil supplies early in the week would have on the Community market (EUROPE 9339 and 9340), Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, German Secretary of State for the Economy and President of the Energy Council Joachim Wuermeling, and the director of the International Energy Agency (IAE), Claude Mandil, blatantly blamed, before the press, the attitude of Minsk and Moscow. Mandil said Russia had tarnished its reputation as a reliable supplier. Considering it unacceptable to have been taken hostage in this way due to a row over transit rights and the price of Russian oil supplied to Belarus, Wuermeling said that “things should never have degenerated to this point”. “Russia and Belarus are responsible nations but their status of reliable and credible partner has suffered greatly”, he continued, before going on to add: “European consumers should not have to pay the price when others decide to close the tap. We are currency providers and do not wish to be the fall guy”. Mr Piebalgs for his part said that, as the Union was not part of this bilateral quarrel, it did not wish to say “who are the goodies and who are the badies in this affair”. “The only thing we want is the guarantee of uninterrupted supplies”, the Commissioner added, saying that the German Presidency and the Commission are reflecting on the message that should be passed on to Minsk and Moscow, via a letter that will be jointly sent to the capitals in coming days. At first sight, the consequences of oil supply interruption have been very limited thanks to the fact that Germany and Poland have sufficient strategic stocks, Piebalgs and Mandil said. (eh)