Kurz: EU backs Nord Stream-2 if Ukrainian interests met

ST.PETERSBURG, Oct 4 (PRIME) -- The European states support Russia’s Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project but interests of Ukraine must not suffer, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said at a press conference after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Austria supports Nord Stream-2 in this context… But it is very important for us that interests of Ukraine, as an important transit state, are respected. There is the issue of Ukraine, which must be fixed,” Kurz said.

Putin said after the negotiations that Russia presumes that Europe is interested in fulfillment of the project, “I presume that we are together, that together we are interested in fulfillment of the project and will fight for its fulfillment.”

He added that he does not want Europe to be like Bulgaria, which quit the South Stream project.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages construction of two lines of a natural gas pipeline with an annual capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters, running from the Russian shore to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Russian gas giant Gazprom will implement the project together with Germany’s E.ON and BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, and France’s Engie.

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