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EC receives mandate for talks on Nord Stream with Russia

The EC official said he supported Energy Minister Alexander Novak's position the mandate should be studied closely, and expressed hope this discussion would take place in September already

The EC's Vice President Maros Sefcovic EPA/WU HONG

The EC's Vice President Maros Sefcovic

ASTANA, June 11. /TASS/. The European Commission received a mandate for talks with Russia on construction of the second line of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in a specific regime, the discussion will continue in September, the EC's Vice President Maros Sefcovic told a news conference of the ministerial conference on the energy's sustainable development in Astana on Sunday.

The EC official said he supported (Energy) Minister (Alexander) Novak's position the mandate should be studied closely, and expressed hope this discussion would take place in September already.

Minister Alexander Novak said the Russian authority had not seen that document yet. "We shall study it. Our position is that construction of that infrastructure project is made by commercial companies," he said. "It is a commercial project."

The minister added, consultations with Sefcovic would continue in late August - early September.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is expected to come into service at the end of 2019. The pipeline is set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore. Each of the pipeline’s two stretches will have a capacity of 27.5 bcm. The new pipeline will double the capacity of the first stretch and will basically follow its route.

The investments are estimated at eight billion euro, and the project’s total cost is 9.9 billion euro. Swiss Nord Stream 2 AG was established for the planning, construction and operation of the gas pipeline, which now belongs entirely to Gazprom.

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