The German government will continue to hold the position that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is a commercial project, German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also serves as the country's finance minister, said on Wednesday
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2020) The German government will continue to hold the position that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is a commercial project, German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also serves as the country's finance minister, said on Wednesday.
"We have taken a clear position regarding the [Nord Stream 2] pipeline, namely, that it is a commercial project. There are numerous permits ... This is the current state of affairs," the vice chancellor said.
The United States has put sustained pressure on both Moscow and Berlin over the proposed pipeline, which expects to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of gas from Russia to Germany upon completion. Nord Stream 2 itself is a joint project between Gazprom and several European energy giants, including Germany's Uniper and Wintershall.
Tensions have risen after Berlin issued a statement on September 2 saying that toxicology tests conducted on Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny had revealed the presence of a substance from the Novichok group. Navalny fell ill in Russia in late August and was transferred to Germany for treatment.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have both said over recent weeks that Nord Stream 2 remains a commercial project and work will continue to complete the pipeline.
