VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. / TASS /. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is primarily an environmental project, not and not a political or commercial project, said Special Presidential Envoy for environmental protection, ecology and transport Sergey Ivanov, on Thursday at one of the sessions of the sixth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

"You know what discussions are going on around Nord Stream 2. There is an endless debate over whether this is a political project or a commercial project, but they forget the main thing, that this is an environmental project," Ivanov said.

He went on to explain that the gas pipeline will reduce the burden on the environment because it is 2,000 km shorter than the land route, and because eco-friendly material was used for its construction.

"The metal is completely different, because the old metal emits much more CO2. There are half the number of compressors along the entire length of the Nord Stream 2 route, and these are state-of-the-art compressors," Ivanov said.

Nord Stream 2 includes the construction of two strings of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The Russian side has repeatedly stressed that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project, and Moscow has never used its energy resources as an instrument of pressure.

The sixth Eastern Economic Forum is being held in Vladivostok on September 2-4 in a hybrid format, the main theme of the business program is "New Opportunities for the Far East in a Changing World." The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the general media partner and the official host photo hosting agency of the event.