Germany will not alter its "principled" stand on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr said in an interview with RIA Novosti, adding that linked sanctions were not applicable
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2021) Germany will not alter its "principled" stand on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr said in an interview with RIA Novosti, adding that linked sanctions were not applicable.
"At the moment, important negotiations are taking place at the level of the governments of Germany and the United States, including the topic of Nord Stream 2, but our principled position is clear, and it will not change � we are convinced that the energy security of Europe, as well as the energy policy of Europe, should be determined and is determined by Europeans, and not by anyone from outside," von Geyr said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
When asked about US-backed sanctions targeting the pipeline, the diplomat noted that the means were against international rules.
"As for the sanctions, our position is that such an instrument - extraterritorial sanctions - is not applicable, as it goes against international law," he explained.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the construction of the first line of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been finished, and Russian gas giant Gazprom is thus ready to start gas supplies. In the meantime, the building of the second line is underway, the president added while speaking at the SPIEF.
The Russian-led gas project, which is currently over 95% complete, aims at laying a 745-mile twin pipeline to transport gas from Russia directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea, passing through the territorial waters of Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.
The United States initiated sanctions against the pipeline in 2019, prompting Swiss pipelay company Allseas to withdraw from the project. After a one-year hiatus, the construction was resumed in December 2020 by Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna, which was joined by another pipe layer Akademik Cherskiy in late April.
The SPIEF-2021 edition is held on June 2-5 in person. The Rossiya Segodnya international news agency is a SPIEF media partner.
