BERLIN, February 16. /TASS/. Attempts to hamper the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project are manifestations of unfair competition, Russian ambassador to Berlin, Sergei Nechaev said at an online conference on strategic cooperation between Russia and Germany.
"I am sure that both Russia and Germany are able to determine their energy policy independently, without interference and advice from outside, on the basis of more than 50 years of experience of effective and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.
The diplomat called for fair competition based on international trade rules and earlier concluded contracts, without the use of sanctions and "other illegal instruments."
"It [the pipeline - TASS] meets the interests of German and European consumers, contributes to the diversification of gas supplies and leads to the achievement of the climate goals set by the EU," the diplomat stressed.
"We consider attempts to hamper the implementation of the project as illegitimate manifestations of unfair competition," he said. Nechaev drew attention to the fact that none of the parties that are trying to torpedo the project is refusing to cooperate with Russia in the energy sector.
"For some reason, they believe that Germany, under a far-fetched pretext, should take some steps against it [energy cooperation with Russia - TASS]. This is not entirely fair," he said.
"We are open to dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and equality, taking into account the interests of each other," the Russian ambassador summed up.
The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction of two pipeline strings with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany.
The work was suspended in December 2019 after the Swiss company Allseas refused to lay pipes due to possible sanctions from the United States. But in December 2020, Nord Stream 2 AG, the project’s operator, resumed pipe laying, building a 2.6 km gas pipeline in the exclusive economic zone of Germany. To date, more than 95% of Nord Stream 2 has been finished.