Those who are trying to torpedo the Nord Stream-2 project need to be reminded that the economic benefits of the project are absolutely obvious.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at breakfast with German colleague Siegmar Gabriel, organized by the German business on the margins of the Munich Conference on Security.
“The length of the route from Yamal to Germany is two thousand kilometers shorter than the current pipe that goes to Germany via Ukraine, and the cost of transit will also be almost twice less than the current cost, so commercial and economic benefits are absolutely obvious,” said Lavrov.
“We have one condition which I believe is feasible. It is the preservation of gas transit through Ukraine. Without the transit of gas, it will be very difficult to implement Nord Stream-2,” the head of the German Foreign Ministry is quoted by Interfax.
He also added that he has the impression that “the Russian side understands this.”
Meanwhile, the head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, in an interview with the Vesti on Saturday program on Rossiya-1, February 17, called Germany’s decision to issue a permit for the construction of the offshore gas pipeline Nord Stream-2 in its territorial waters and the acceptance terminal a key one. “This decision is decisive for the future of the project, and in the very near future, I think we will be moving to the final stage,” Miller added.
According to the head of Gazprom, the main corridor of gas supplies from Russia to Europe will soon become Nord Stream, as the fastest and cheapest one. He noted that the central transport corridor, which until recently supplies gas to Europe through Ukraine, loses its significant role, which it had 10-20 years ago.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Moravets that Germany considers Nord Stream-2 an economic project and does not see it as a threat to energy security.
The press release of the German government reports that the parties stressed the desire of Germany and Poland “to jointly solve common problems.” At the same time, as noted, Germany and Poland have different views regarding the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline,
“We believe that this is an economic project, we support the diversification of energy supplies and we also want transit supplies of gas through Ukraine, but we believe that the Nord Stream does not pose a threat to the diversification of supplies,” Merkel told the Russian business edition of News of Economy.
