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Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Ukraine crisis two different things, says German minister

Peter Altmaier also noted that tensions in Ukraine "cannot be settled with weapons"

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier EPA-EFE/HAYOUNG JEON

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier

© EPA-EFE/HAYOUNG JEON

BERLIN, November 29. /TASS/. The issues of implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the Ukraine crisis need to be separated, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Germany’s ARD television on Thursday.

"These are two different issues and different areas," he stressed, having spoken out against the termination of the pipeline’s construction.

Altmaier also noted that tensions in Ukraine "cannot be settled with weapons." The minister expects that recent events in the Kerch Strait will be discussed at the G20 summit.

Government Spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Wednesday that Germany’s stance on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline remains unchanged. Berlin regards it as a commercial project but urges to maintain gas transit through Ukraine.

The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction of two lines of a gas pipeline with total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters of gas per year, running from Russia to Europe across the Baltic Sea. The 9.5 bln euro ($11 bln) project is expected to start operations before late 2019.

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