Stopping Nord Stream 2 Construction Would Create 'Strange Precedent' - Russian Official

Umer Jamshaid Published May 16, 2019 | 06:47 PM

The prospect of potentially halting the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Europe on political grounds would create a "strange" precedent, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky said on Thursday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) The prospect of potentially halting the construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Europe on political grounds would create a "strange" precedent, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky said on Thursday.

The Nord Stream 2 joint project between Russian Gazprom gas giant and five European gas companies has been facing criticism and opposition from within the EU bloc, due to fears that building the pipeline and increasing Europe's dependence on Russian gas will give Moscow leverage over European politics.

"I think that if this happens [halting the construction], it will create a very strange precedent in modern economics. I do not know of any other sensible economic project that was stopped mid-way due to non-economic reasons," Yanovsky said during the annual Russia-EU conference on energy cooperation.

Yanovsky also commented on Washington's recent proposal to impose sanctions on companies building the pipeline, saying that in the event that the European companies pulled out of the project, Gazprom would have no difficulties financing the project on its own.

The Nord Stream 2 project aims to build a 745-mile-long pipeline that will deliver 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of Russian natural gas annually to Germany to then be distributed to European consumers.

The United States has openly opposed the construction of the pipeline, claiming that the project will make Europe dependent on Russian gas, thereby undermining the EU bloc's democratic principles.

Russian authorities have said the United States' attitude toward the Nord Stream 2 project is motivated by Washington's economic and energy interests in Europe and has rejected the idea that the project might be political in nature.