German MP Stegner: there are no more big obstacles for the launch of Nord Stream 2
Photo: Stine Jacobsen / Reuters
Member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Policy from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and ex-deputy chairman of the party Ralf Stegner said that there are no longer any obstacles to launching the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. He spoke about this in an interview with Izvestia.
Stegner answered the question of whether Germany could comply with Ukraine's demand to suspend the project. According to him, to complete the project, it is not enough just to fulfill some requirements for it to be certified.
“Here it is worth recalling the words of Mao Zedong: “When the sky goes out, all the sparrows die.” Now it's not like that. We hope that eventually the situation will improve, because the stories of saber-rattling will not lead us anywhere. We need to discuss other topics together. Nord Stream 2 is an economic project that may not be supported by everyone, but in Germany there are hints of reaching an agreement in this area. If the framework conditions do not change dramatically, and I do not see this in the near future, then the project will be launched,” Stegner said.
He added that Germany needs gas as an energy source for the transition period. The deputy also answered the question of whether the government has so far managed to come to a common opinion on the launch. “We are still closer to the Greens and the FDP than to the CDU/CSU. Our opinions are not unanimous on all points, but we can always agree, ”the German deputy emphasized.
Earlier in January, the head of the foreign policy committee of the Bundestag, Social Democrat Michael Roth, said that opposition to the launch of Nord Stream 2 could be explained by US economic interests. He noted that the US themselves want to sell their liquefied gas in Europe at high prices. “We must take this into account and ensure that Nord Stream 2 is integrated into the pan-European energy policy strategy,” the parliamentarian said.
