Page 12 - Gi flipbook May 2018

NEWS | INTERNATIONAL

RUSSIA
‘Victory for Kremlin’ as

Germany approves gas pipeline

GERMANY HAS GIVEN the
go-ahead for a Russian gas
pipeline despite the furore
over Russia’s chemical
attack in the UK, reports
Energy Voice.
The Federal Maritime
and Hydrographic Agency
(BSH) in Berlin said Russia
could build the pipeline,
called Nord Stream 2, one
day after Germany and
other EU states expelled
Russian diplomats over
Russia’s use of a chemical
weapon to try to kill a
former spy in England.
“We are pleased that all
necessary permits are now
in place for the German
route section,” Jens Lange,
head of the Nord Stream 2
consortium, said.
Permits from Denmark,
Finland, and Sweden, NORD STREAM
whose Baltic Sea zones Germany has given the
will host pipe segments, pipeline the go-ahead
were also “expected to
be issued in the coming Chancellor Angela Merkel one of the first reactions to permission to use their
months” and Nord Stream and Foreign Minister Heiko the German permit. maritime zones, forcing
2 will be built this year “as Mass recently reaffirmed. “It [Nord Stream 2] is Gazprom to reroute the
planned”, the consortium, Those views are completely in contradiction pipeline at a higher cost.
an offshoot of Russian diametrically opposed to with EU energy policy,” The US has threatened to
state firm Gazprom, said. positions taken by most EU Lithuanian Foreign Minister impose sanctions on the EU
The BSH analysis showed states, EU institutions, and Linas Linkevicius told firms – Engie, OMV, Uniper,
Nord Stream 2 “will the US. EUobserver. Shell, and Wintershall –
contribute to increasing The pipeline, which will Linkevicius said the UK planning to co-finance the
security of supply and concentrate 80 per cent attack had changed nothing pipeline, which could force
competition in the EU of Russian gas sales to the in terms of Germany’s Russia to find the money
gas market”, the Russian EU on the German route, outlook on the gas project. elsewhere.
company added. will help the Kremlin to “It’s the same. The EU leaders might also
The pipeline is a purely blackmail other European SPD is back on board put pressure on Germany
“economic project”, German states with supply cuts and everybody knows its to halt Nord Stream 2 at
and will make a mockery position on Nord Stream a summit in June, British
of international sanctions 2,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Theresa
imposed over Russia’s the centre-left SPD party, May told British MPs.
aggression in the UK and in which recently struck a Meanwhile, the European
Ukraine, its critics have said. new coalition deal with Parliament is preparing
“Big victory for Kremlin, Merkel and which backs the to pass legislation to
helps to increase EU energy pipeline deal. make offshore pipelines,
dependency on Russia The fate of Nord Stream 2 including Nord Stream
and make Ukraine more remained uncertain despite 2, subject to EU anti-
German Chancellor vulnerable,” Bob Seely, an the BSH permit, Seely noted. monopoly rules, weakening
Angela Merkel MP from Britain’s ruling Denmark, Finland, and Moscow’s grip over the
Conservative Party, said in Sweden could deny Russia new infrastructure. ■

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News.indd 7 19/04/2018 12:43