“This is a commercial agreement based on expert prognoses on the growth in gas consumption in Europe. We are sure that the completion will provide for an increase in the stability of delivering gas to the European market and strengthening energy security on our common continents as a whole,” Lavrov said in an interview with Italy’s Limes monthly magazine.
The Nord Stream 2 is a proposed gas pipeline that would pass under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, to provide an additional route for Russian gas to be delivered to Germany. The pipeline could provide up to 55 billion cubic meters of direct gas supplies from Russia.
Some EU member states, such as Poland and the Czech Republic, are opposed to the northern gas pipeline over fears of increased energy dependence on Russia, however, Germany has recently reaffirmed its interest in the project.
According to Germany's special coordinator for Russia policy, Gernot Erler, the pipeline will help ensure energy safety and security in Europe. German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel reiterated Chancellor Angela Merkel's stance on the issue, stressing the project's potential benefits for Germany, France and other EU countries.
