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German top diplomat says Nord Stream 2 certification halted for non-compliance with EU

Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project, which is being implemented together with its European partners

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock EPA-EFE/GONZALO FUENTES/POOL

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock

© EPA-EFE/GONZALO FUENTES/POOL

BERLIN, December 13. /TASS/. Germany’s regulator has suspended the certification of the Nord Stream 2 operator due to its non-compliance with the EU’s energy regulation, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

"The Federal Network Agency has suspended the certification process due to the existence of clear regulation in European law regarding the energy area on unbundling and other issues of the [company’s] structure," she said when asked, which organization acknowledged the project’s non-compliance with the EU rules.

Baerbock said in an interview with the ZDF TV channel aired on Sunday, that the project "fails to comply with the regulation" of the EU so far, and it "cannot be approved."

To start pumping gas, Nord Stream 2’s operator has to obtain the green light from the German regulator. The certification has been suspended since the Swiss-headquartered operator Nord Stream 2 AG must register a subsidiary in Germany. Until that is accomplished, the certification process has been frozen.

The agreement greenlighted by the coalition in Germany does not mention Nord Stream 2, it only stresses the supremacy of Europe-wide norms regarding issues related to energy projects. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s statements on the gas pipeline’s future have been very restrained so far. He said that no country can violate the borders of another state, otherwise there will be consequences. Being co-chair of the Greens, Baerbock has demanded in recent years that the project be stopped. Currently, she heads the German Foreign Ministry in Scholz’s government. The main foreign political course is usually set by the Chancellor’s office, not the Foreign Ministry.

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.

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