MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should end by the end of the first half of 2022, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with RBC posted on Wednesday.

"According to certification timeframe schedules I am aware of, it exactly should end during the first half [of 2022]. The end of the first half is the maximum term. If colleagues are interested in it and make the certification quicker, supplies can start much earlier," the official said.

Political matters related to opposing Nord Stream 2 construction have been present for a long time, Novak said. "The project vehicle implementing the Nord Stream 2 project is acting strictly in line with European laws. Any demands above current laws are of political nature," he added.

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 pumping.