Page 11 - FSUOGM Week 06 2021

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

German lawmaker calls for US-EU-

Russian talks on Nord Stream 2

GERMANY AN influential German politician from Chancel- Trump. Indeed, his administration still insists
lor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union the pipeline is not in Europe’s interests.
Work on the pipeline (CDU) party has called for three-way talks to “We continue to believe, the president con-
should be halted so take place between the EU, Russia and the US to tinues to believe, that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal
these negotiations can decide on Nord Stream 2’s fate. for Europe,” White House Press Secretary Jen
take place, former CDU Norbert Rottgen, a former CDU deputy Psaki said at a daily briefing on January 26, add-
deputy leader Nobert leader and ex-environment minister, now head- ing that the administration would be reviewing
Rottgen has said. ing the committee on foreign affairs at the Bun- the restrictions included in the defence policy
destag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, legislation.
has suggested a moratorium on Nord Stream 2’s Even so, Biden is likely to prioritise US rela-
construction be imposed so these negotiations tions with Germany, whose support for the
can take place. The project could be realised if pipeline has so far held. That support has been
there is an international agreement in place that put to the test by Moscow’s treatment of Russian
ensures that Russia cannot use the pipeline as a opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his follow-
political weapon, he said. ers in recent weeks. Moscow strained ties further
Rottgen’s words come days after reports in the with Berlin last week, expelling diplomats from
German press that the Biden administration is Germany, Poland and Sweden which it claimed
prepared to enter into talks with Germany to lift had taken part in illegal protests against Naval-
its sanctions on Nord Stream 2. These sanctions ny’s jailing.
have pushed Nord Stream 2 over a year behind Merkel described the expulsions as “unjusti-
schedule and counting, and have led to a number fied” on February 5, but stopped short of sug-
of European companies withdrawing from the gesting Nord Stream 2’s fate might be on the line.
project in recent months. “The position on Nord Stream 2 is unaffected
President Joe Biden has not indicated pub- by this for the time being; this is a project on
licly that he will adopt a softer stance towards which you know the position of the federal gov-
Nord Stream 2 than his predecessor Donald ernment,” she told reporters. ™

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