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Merkel does not rule out Berlin stance on Nord Stream 2 may depend on Navalny case

Earlier, Germany's top diplomat did not rule out that Berlin could change its position on Nord Stream 2, depending on Russia's actions after the incident with the blogger

German Chancellor Angela Merkel EPA-EFE/Mika Schmidt/POOL

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

© EPA-EFE/Mika Schmidt/POOL

BERLIN, September 7. /TASS/. German Chancellor Angela Merkel agrees with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that Berlin's position on Nord Stream 2 may depend on Russia's further steps on the incident with Alexei Navalny, the German Government's Spokesman Steffen Seibert told a briefing on Monday.

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Kremlin sees no risk that Germany will block Nord Stream 2 project

"The Chancellor shares the opinion of the Foreign Minister," he said.

Earlier, Maas did not rule out that Berlin could change its position on the Nord Stream 2, depending on Russia's actions after the incident with the blogger.

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Kremlin describes calls to put Nord Stream 2 in mothballs over Navalny case as 'emotional'

In turn, the economy ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany said that they "do not speculate" on the possible consequences of the suspension or termination of the Nord Stream 2.

Earlier, the leaders of Alliance 90/The Greens party demanded termination of the Nord Stream 2 project. The Free Democratic Party proposed a temporary moratorium on construction until all issues are clarified. Candidate for the post of chairman of the Christian Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz, also spoke for the suspension of the project. Klaus Ernst, the leader of the parliamentary committee for economy and energy, said he did not consider it necessary to stop the project.

On September 2, the German government announced that the toxicologists of the Bundeswehr (the unified armed forces of Germany) tested Alexei Navalny’s samples and concluded that the Russian blogger had been exposed to a poisonous substance of the Novichok group.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to fully cooperate with Germany in order to establish all circumstances of the Alexei Navalny case. He noted that before the transfer of Navalny to Berlin, no poisonous substances had been detected in his body.

Navalny was hospitalized in Omsk on August 20 after he became ill on board a plane bound for Moscow from Tomsk. He fell into a coma and was connected to a ventilator. Later he was taken to the Charite clinic in Berlin.

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