UPDATE: Perry says US can slap new sanctions on Russian energy sector

(Changes headline, lede, adds details in last paragraph)

MOSCOW, Sep 13 (PRIME) -- The U.S. has plans to introduce additional sanctions against the Russian energy sector and the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, U.S. Secretary of Energy Richard Perry said on Thursday at a press conference after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak.

Perry said that Russia’s Nord Stream-2 project creates vulnerabilities in the E.U. energy security. The U.S. opposes the Nord Stream-2 project as it believes that the pipeline could concentrate two thirds of Russian gas supplies in a single pipeline and create vulnerability in the E.U. energy security in case something is wrong, according to Perry. He also said that the U.S. embraces a desire by European consumers to reduce dependency on a single supplier.

The U.S. calls on Russia to be a responsible energy source supplier and to cease to use fuel to influence third states.

Novak said that Russia and the U.S. should restore the activities of the energy working group. “Concerning the bilateral agenda, restoration of the energy working group of the bilateral Russian–U.S. commission is one of the priority tasks.”

Novak invited Perry to the Russian Energy Week. He said that Russia is ready to quit an artificial dead end in relations with the U.S. on principles of equal rights and balance of interests. He offered to establish a joint investment fund for energy technologies with participation of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

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