Report: EU to mull Russia’s N Stream-2 if Ukrainian transit kept

MOSCOW, Jul 13 (PRIME) -- The E.U. is ready to discuss construction of the Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline designed to carry Russian gas to Europe only if gas transit through Ukraine is kept, Bloomberg reported Wednesday citing Vice President for Energy Union of the E.U. Maros Sefcovic.

A contract on Russian gas exports to Europe through Ukraine expires in late 2019.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages construction of two lines of a 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 hold 50% in the project, while E.ON, BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, and OMV will own 10% each, and Engie will get a 9% stake.

In March, some media reported that prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Lithuania sent a letter to European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker, in which they opposed Nord Stream-2 saying the project bears the risk of geopolitical destabilization. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in June that the Nord Stream-2 pipeline is an economic project.

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