OREANDA-NEWS. The European Commission won't be able to stop the construction of the Nord Stream - 2 pipeline, despite the adoption of a new EU Gas Directive, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her words are reported by the newspaper Handelsblatt. “The project is almost fully approved. The new Gas Directive gives the European Commission more opportunities to challenge (implementation of the Nord Stream - 2. - Ed.). However, it will not prevent the project ", - he stressed. The Chancellor called Ukraine the “key point” in the construction of “Nord Stream - 2”. In her opinion, Kiev should remain a gas transit country, despite the appearance of a new gas pipeline.

The Nord Stream - 2 project is one of the most ambitious projects in the gas sector, which includes the construction of two gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year, it will provide gas transfer from Russia to Germany. It will pass through some northern seas and the territory of the Scandinavian countries, all construction works are coordinated with being conducted in partnership with some states.
The project is implemented by Nord Stream 2 AG. Gazprom invested half the project cost. Unreal, Wintershall, OMV, Shell and Engie contributed funds to the company. Germany expressed its support for the construction of a gas pipeline, according to the country's leadership and leading experts - this will significantly stimulate the economy of a number of countries. According to Peter Altmeier, Minister of Economy, Nord Stream 2 will help stabilize gas supplies to Europe.

Austria, which is interested in a reliable supply of natural gas, also spoke out for the project. In Vienna, they stressed that the US intentions to impose sanctions on companies participating in the project "raise questions from the point of view of international law." As the head of the Austrian concern OMV Rainer Seele noted, Moscow has long established itself as a reliable supplier of energy resources.