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Denmark’s stance won’t change plans to implement Nord Stream-2 — diplomat

A Russian diplomat says Denmark’s position won’t disrupt plans for the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project

VIENNA, June 27. /TASS/. Denmark’s position won’t disrupt plans for the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, there are alternative routes, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Wednesday.

"Denmark takes a special stance on the Nord Stream-2 project. As far as we know, there are alternative routes for laying the pipe, which are quite justified commercially," the diplomat said.

According to him, Copenhagen has been under pressure from Washington.

"Politically, it is obvious that the Nord Stream-2 project is under strong US pressure, which is trying to use geopolitical arguments to provide more favorable conditions for deliveries to Europe of its own liquefied gas, which is (and everybody admits it) commercially unattractive for consumers and uncompetitive compared to Russian pipeline gas," the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed.

Earlier, Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that his country could pass a law that would ultimately allow the country to block or postpone the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 project on legal grounds. He made this statement speaking at a press conference he held jointly with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman.

The Nord Stream-2 project is an expansion of the existing Nord Stream main gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany. The pipeline is set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore. It will bypass the transit states - Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries. The gas pipeline will pass through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of five states - Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. The pipeline’s length will be more than 1,200 km, throughput capacity - 55 bln cubic meters of gas per year. The pipeline is expected to come into service at the end of 2019.