Austria continues to support the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and expects to launch it soon. This was announced on Tuesday, December 14, by the new Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
“I expect Nord Stream 2 to start working in the near future, as planned. We rely heavily on renewable energy sources in Europe. But since we also need oil and gas, it is important that EU countries provide energy from as many sources as possible and that they have appropriate gas pipelines, ”he said in an interview with Die Welt.
The Austrian Chancellor stressed that SP-2 is an important project ensuring the security of energy supplies to the EU.
According to him, any sanctions against the gas pipeline “will only harm the European Union.” In addition, the chancellor pointed out that the SP-2 should not be used as a lever of pressure on Moscow.
Nord Stream 2 is in the interests of not only Russia, but also Germany, Austria and other EU countries will benefit from the construction of this gas pipeline, “Nehammer said.
Earlier, on December 13, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg expressed the opinion that attempts by European politicians to question the Nord Stream 2 project are unreasonable. Also, during a meeting of the heads of the EU diplomatic departments in Brussels, he said that during discussions about Russia, one should not constantly question the implementation of this project. Moreover, SP-2 helps Europe to diversify gas supplies.
On December 12, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said that the SP-2 could not be approved, as it did not yet comply with the requirements of European energy law. She said that the problem was discussed during the talks between the foreign ministers of the EU countries.
On December 13, the minister clarified her words about the “inconsistency with the EU law” of the gas pipeline, recalling that she had in mind the decision of the EU regulator made back in November. At the same time, Stefan Koiter, a member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee from the Alternative for Germany, told Izvestia that the German Foreign Minister is using the SP-2 project as an instrument of political negotiations.
In turn, the operator of Nord Stream 2, Nord Stream 2 AG, said that it is making every effort to ensure that the project complies with applicable rules and regulations.
On November 16, the German regulator suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent operator of Nord Stream 2. The procedure can be continued when a subsidiary company for the German part of the pipeline is created in Germany. The company has promised to establish such a subsidiary in Germany to ensure compliance with rules and regulations. The Ministry of Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany called the suspension of certification a regulatory issue and an intermediate stage in this procedure, adding that this will not affect the energy supply of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The construction of the gas pipeline was completed on September 10. It was built from Russia to Germany along the Baltic seabed with the aim of direct gas supplies to Europe. The EU countries mainly support the project and participate in its implementation. The Baltic states, Poland, the United States and Ukraine are opposed.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
