Sochi (Russia): Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Europe could count on Russia as a reliable partner for future energy supplies and offered to set up a stock of Russian gas in Germany.

After talks on the Black Sea resort of Sochi Sunday, Putin told the chancellor that Russia was working to build new routes of transport for its energy supplies to the EU, which gets 30 percent of its oil imports from Russia.

A camp storing Russian gas could be set up in Germany allowing the country to take over a distributory function in Europe, he said.

As a result of the three-day stoppage earlier this month, which Russia blamed on its neighbour Belarus, Russia was now trying to reduce the dependency on transit countries and this necessitated the construction of a gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea as well as increased exports via the port of Primorsk near Saint Petersburg, Putin said.

Moscow had a great interest in global energy security, he added. Russia's move had cut oil supplies to Europe through a pipeline running through Belarus.

Germany and other EU states were annoyed by a lack of warning from Moscow when Russia stopped pumping oil through Belarus. Officials in Berlin said it would have been good, if Russia had given the West prior notice.

"Including energy security in a new partnership agreement between Russia and the EU was a 'question of taste', Putin added, saying there definitely should be "clear, written rules" to adhere to.

Merkel, who was paying her first visit to Russia since Germany took over the twin presidencies of the EU and Group of Eight leading industrial nations on Jan 1, told Putin that communications needed to be improved in order to avoid irritations.

In terms of reviving the Mideast Quartet comprising the UN, the EU, Russia and the US, Putin supported Merkel's aim to hold a meeting soon with the other members to bring Israel and Palestine back into peace negotiations.

In reference to Iran's controversial nuclear programme, Merkel said it was important to show Tehran that the door to further negotiations was still open.