MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. The gas-in procedure for the second string of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline started on December 17, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 project said in a statement on Friday.

"Like the first string, the second string will be gradually filled with gas to build the required inventory and pressure," the statement said.

Earlier, pre-commissioning activities on the second string were completed successfully to assure the pipeline integrity.

Nord Stream 2 will inform about further technical steps in due time, according to the statement.

"The pipeline is built and independently certified according to applicable technical and industry standards to ensure reliable and safe operations," the operator noted.

The construction of Nord Stream 2 was fully completed on September 10, 2021. To start pumping gas, Nord Stream 2’s operator has to obtain the green light from the German regulator. The certification has been suspended as the Swiss-headquartered operator Nord Stream 2 AG must register a subsidiary in Germany. Until that is accomplished, the certification process has been frozen.

Germany's Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) said earlier this week that it expects no decision on Nord Stream 2 to be taken in the first half of 2022.

Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project, which is being implemented together with its European partners. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has expressed bewilderment that a number of countries seek to make the fate of the gas pipeline dependent on politically-motivated conditions. Russia has also repeatedly stated that it has never politically weaponized energy resources.