Germany, US discuss Nord Stream 2 project, Berlin says By Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany and the United States are discussing the Nord Stream 2 submarine pipeline project in Washington in an attempt to resolve their dispute, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday.

“As you know, discussions are currently underway between the German government and the (American) administration in Washington,” he told reporters. He added that Berlin was seeking an agreement with the United States.

“This will be the subject of the talks in Washington,” he stressed without giving more details. “I am convinced that we will manage to find a solution, although it will certainly not be easy and may not happen quickly,” he added.

According to German press group Funke Media Group, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sent two envoys to Washington to prepare a compromise deal on Nord Stream 2 ahead of the president’s visit to Europe, scheduled for mid-June. American Joe Biden.

The Nord Stream 2 project, financed by the Russian public gas giant Gazprom and whose work is about 95% complete at this stage, should allow Moscow to increase its gas supply while bypassing Ukraine, thus depriving Kiev of ‘significant transit revenues.

The United States believes that with this project Russia will increase its economic and political influence on Europe, by making it more dependent on its gas.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said Moscow welcomed the US decision not to sanction the pipeline project, the Interfax news agency reported.

Interfax was quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia does not plan to stop sending gas through Ukraine because it expects its gas supplies to Europe. increase.

(Sabine Siebold; French version Claude Chendjou, edited by Blandine Hénault)

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