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German president addresses Ukraine fears over Nord Stream 2
KIEV, May 29, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
sought Tuesday to relieve Ukraine’s concerns about the Nord Stream II
pipeline, saying it would continue to play its role in gas transit to Europe.
During a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Kiev,
Steinmeier underlined that Germany was making “efforts to guarantee the
future transit of gas by Ukraine”.
According to Steinmeier , there are ongoing discussions on this subject not
only between Germany and Ukraine, but also with the European Union.
“I hope (…) that the great fear of Ukraine — that Ukraine will no longer
play its role as a transit country in the future — this fear will be
groundless,” Steinmeier said.
Germany has supported plans by Russia’s Gazprom to build Nord Stream 2, for
which preparatory works have begun and should be completed in 2019.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in
Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on May 18 to discuss the Nord Stream 2
pipeline, criticised by Ukraine and threatened by US sanctions.
The pipeline would call further into question Ukraine’s role as a key
transit nation for Russian gas to Europe, but Putin sought to reassure
shipments would continue in any case.
“We will continue gas shipments (via Ukraine) as long as they are
economically justified,” Putin said during a press conference with Merkel.
For her part, Merkel said that “Germany believes Ukraine’s role as a
transit country should continue after the construction of Nord Stream 2… it
has a strategic importance”.
BSS/AFP/MRI/0827 hrs