Germany's Bilfinger declines to comment on N Stream 2 withdrawal

BERLIN/WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (PRIME) -- Germany's Bilfinger has declined to comment on media statements that it quit the Nord Stream 2 Russian pipeline project due to a threat of U.S. sanctions, a spokesperson told PRIME late on Tuesday.

"We are asking you to understand the fact that we cannot provide any comment on your request," the official said.

German daily Bild reported citing documents that local company Bilfinger SE left the Nord Stream 2 project over the threat of the sanctions, becoming the first German company to do so after the U.S. government introduced sanctions against Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna involved in construction of Nord Stream 2 and its owner KVT-Rus.

An official of Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy told PRIME that the authority had lamentably taken the new sanctions into consideration.

Nominee to the post of State Secretary Antony Blinken said that President-Elect Joe Biden wants the U.S. to use all instruments to persuade partners against participating in Nord Stream.

"The president-elect fully supports you in the fact that Nord Stream 2 is a bad idea," Blinken said. "I know that he (Biden) would like us to use all means of persuasion that we have to talk our partners, including Germany, out of continuing the project (of Nord Stream 2)."

Russian Ambassador in the U.S. Anatoly Antonov said that the Nord Stream 2 sanctions violate the international law.

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