Different Stances Of Berlin, Kiev On Nord Stream 2 Not Affecting Partnership - Merkel

Different positions of Germany and Ukraine on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project do not affect the strategic partnership between the countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2019) Different positions of Germany and Ukraine on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project do not affect the strategic partnership between the countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

"We have a common goal in this matter, Ukraine should remain a gas transit country. Therefore, we suggested that negotiations should be conducted not only between Russia and Ukraine, but also with the EU participation. This will continue. I have always indicated to the Russian president that Nord Stream 2 implies for me that Ukraine remains a transit country. Our strategic partnership will withstand the fact that we have different positions on this issue, since we have a lot of commonalities despite that," Merkel said, addressing Poroshenko.

Kiev insists on the termination of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline's construction, Poroshenko stated, offering German companies to participate in the management of the Ukrainian gas transportation system.

"The Nord Stream 2 project is not new in the discussions between Ukraine and Germany. We firmly insist that we did not stop our struggle to stop the construction of Nord Stream 2. We will offer German companies to participate in the management of the Ukrainian gas transportation system," Poroshenko said.

He reiterated that Berlin and Kiev had different approaches to the mechanisms for resolving this issue.

"Germany wants to guarantee a certain amount of [gas] pumping. We imply that the construction of this gas pipeline must be stopped ... Our negotiations with Germany in this sphere are ongoing," Poroshenko added.

Existing contracts for the supply and transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expire at the end of 2019. While the transit through the country's territory is ongoing, Ukraine stopped to purchase gas for its own needs in November 2015. CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexey Miller, has repeatedly declared his readiness to negotiate gas supplies to Ukraine, as well as to extend the contract for gas transit through Ukraine on the basis of the current one. In addition, Gazprom is ready to consider proposals for participation in the gas transportation consortium, if they come from the Ukrainian side.

Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russian energy giant Gazprom and five European partners. The pipeline is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2019 and deliver 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of Russian natural gas annually to EU countries. The route will pass through the territorial waters or exclusive economic zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Denmark is the only country that has not authorized the construction yet.