Energy policy of Russia and in a few cases explicit political demands are evident. Starting 1 January 2007 Gazprom increased the price of natural gas to Azerbaijan from US$110 to $235 per thousand cubic metres. (At the time, Gazprom charged the EU US$250.) Azerbaijan refused to pay this price and the gas supply to Azerbaijan stopped. On its side, Azerbaijan stopped oil exports to and via Russia. A year earlier, pro-Russian Armenia was hit with the same 100% price increase as Western-oriented Georgia, Vladimir Socor has observed. The Russia-Belarus energy dispute began when Russian state-owned gas supplier Gazprom demanded an increase in gas prices
Gazprom Neft not represent the sale price of Mr. Berezovsky’s and Mr. Patarkatsishvili’s alleged Sibneft interest, but rather was a final lump sum payment in order to discharge what Mr. Abramovich regarded as his "krysha" obligations." The principal owner of Gazprom Neft is OAO Gazprom, which controls 95.68% of the company's shares, while the remaining 4.32% are publicly traded. 20% of Gazprom Neft's shares were originally owned by the Italian oil and gas company Eni before being purchased by Gazprom for $4.1 billion in April 2009. Alexander Dyukov is CEO and Chairman of the management Board. Alexey Miller is Chairman of the