Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov spoke with TASS ahead of the Sept. 14-16 G20 ministerial energy meeting in Houston, Texas, and reminded the West of the pesky reality of Russia’s role as a guarantor of global energy security.

“The objective reality is that our country cannot be excluded from global supply chains. Russia has been, is, and will undoubtedly remain a reliable energy supplier and a guarantor of energy security.

“Our country holds the world’s largest combined oil and gas reserves, amounting to approximately 60 billion tons of oil equivalent, or 14% of the global total. Russia also ranks fifth globally in coal reserves and is the fourth-largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG),” the minister noted.