Official: Austria to continue supporting Nord Stream-2 gas pipe

VIENNA, Feb 21 (PRIME) -- Austria is interested in reliable energy supplies and will continue promoting Russia-led Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told Austrian ORF broadcaster late Wednesday after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“He (Trump) clearly said that the U.S. is against this project, we already know it. We support this project, because we are interested in reliable energy supplies to Austria,” he said.

“Finally, there is some sort of agreement on this project in Europe, and we will further promote this project. We would not have a problem with buying gas from the U.S., but as long as the price in Russia is better than in the U.S., Russia is more attractive for us as a partner in this issue. I think that as a former businessman he (Trump) can understand that we just have different interests here,” Kurz said.

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, OMV, and France’s Engie.

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