MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. The second string of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will have the operating pressure before the end of this year, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said on Thursday.

"Gas is already flowing to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from the Slavyanskaya compressor station. You know the first string of the Nord Stream 2 already has operating pressure and the second line will be under operating pressure by the end of this year," Miller said.

The gas-in procedure for the second string of the Nord Steam started on December 17, the pipeline operator said last week. Startup for gas pipeline integrity monitoring was successfully completed earlier for the second string.

Construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline ended on September 10. The pipeline operator needs to get approval from the German regulator to start gas transport.