US Official To Visit Belgium, Germany On Sunday To Address Energy Concerns - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2019) US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) of State for Energy Resources Kent Logsdon is set to travel to Belgium and Germany on Sunday for a week long-trip to address energy security concerns in the region, the Department of State said in a press release.

"Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Kent D. Logsdon will travel to Brussels and Berlin from March 17 to 21, 2019," the release said on Friday. "Throughout his trip, PDAS Logsdon will highlight the importance of a strong, growing, integrated, diversified, and resilient global energy market that promotes transatlantic energy security for the United States, its allies, and partners."

In Brussels, Logsdon will participate in the NATO North Atlantic Council on Energy Security meeting, the release said.

In Berlin, Logsdon will participate in the US-Germany Bilateral Energy Security Dialogue and conduct a series of bilateral meetings with German government officials, the release added.

The United States has repeatedly called on the European Union and on Germany to give up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that is set to bring Russian natural gas to Germany across the Baltic Sea while bypassing Ukraine.

German officials have argued, however, that the construction had advanced too far to stop now.

Apart from Germany and Russia, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will pass through the territorial waters of Denmark, Sweden and Finland. All countries save for Denmark have granted permissions for the pipeline and Nord Stream 2 AG CFO Paul Corcoran expressed hope the Danish section will be built by the end of 2019.

US diplomats have urged the European Union to revise its Third Energy Package's Gas Directive to apply it to Nord Stream 2, which is led by Russian gas giant Gazprom. The provision seeks to separate gas production from sales to prevent monopolies in the European energy market.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously accused the United States of trying to force Russia out of the European energy market to sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe. Both Russia and Germany have argued the pipeline is a purely commercial project.