Moscow's 'behaviour' Could Determine Gas Imports: German Minister

Berlin, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Apr, 2021 ) :Germany could make the quantity of gas it imports in future from Russia through the controversial Nord Stream pipeline conditional on Moscow's "behaviour", Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Tuesday.

Berlin has come under intense pressure from the United States and European partners over the 10-billion-euro ($11-billion) pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea, which is set to double Russian natural-gas shipments to Germany, Europe's largest economy.

Speaking to reporters after talks with visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Kramp-Karrenbauer shrugged off calls for a moratorium to halt the pipeline.

"The question of whether it is sensible to put in a moratorium so close before works are complete, this question can be asked," she said.

"But I am deeply convinced that even when Nord Stream 2 is in operation, the question of how much gas will actually pass through in the end will also be dependant on Russia's behaviour."Germany has long irked allies with its stubborn defence of the Nord Stream 2 project, which critics say will increase German and EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies.

Despite the intense pressure, Germany has not budged from the project, which it says ensures a more stable and cleaner source of energy as it pivots away from coal and nuclear power.