BERLIN, October 23. /TASS/. Berlin has set a course toward curtailing cooperation with Moscow in the energy sector, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev told TASS in an interview.
"The curtailment of bilateral cooperation in this area is Berlin’s choice. There is no economic logic behind it, [there is] only a policy, the [adverse] consequences of which the German economy is feeling for itself, and an ideology of 'values' that is offered in place of affordable electrical power from Russia," Nechayev noted.
The ambassador emphasized that some voices among regional politicians and within the German business community have brought up the need to restore the destroyed Nord Stream pipelines, but there has not been any practical follow-up to these calls.
"For decades, stable, reliable supplies of Russian energy resources have remained the key to the economic well-being of Germany and the strong competitiveness of German products," the diplomat recounted.
"The construction of Nord Stream, including the commissioning of the fully completed Nord Stream 2, turned Germany into a leading European energy hub and effectively covered the [domestic energy] needs of Germany," he stressed.
"Obviously, many overseas, and even in Europe, did not like this. It was necessary to deprive Russia of a stable source of income, and Germany of competitive advantages, and at the same time force it to look for a replacement, but at a much higher cost," he said.
Nechayev drew attention to the fact that the parties in the ruling coalition in Berlin - the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens - worsened their positions in the October 8 lander, or provincial, elections in Bavaria and Hesse.
"Local experts attribute this to the growing dissatisfaction of voters due to the worsening economic situation, recession, rising inflation, and increasing migration pressure on the country," the diplomat noted.
After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Germany decided to reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources. Speaking at the Russian Energy Week, President Vladimir Putin called Germany’s decision to reject Russian gas "stupid economic behavior." He said he did not understand "why it is possible to supply gas to Germany through the territory of Ukraine, but they think that it is not possible through Nord Stream 2."