Gazprom CEO, German Energy Minister Discuss Progress With Nord Stream-2

Alexei Miller and Sigmar Gabriel pointed out the importance of creating new direct routes for Russian gas supplies to Europe amid declining domestic production in European countries

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The head of Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom Alexei Miller and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel discussed the reliability of Russian gas supplies to Europe and progress in implementing the Nord Stream-2 project, Gazprom said in a statement Wednesday.

Miller and Gabriel held a working meeting in the German capital of Berlin on Tuesday.

"The parties pointed out the success of construction, high operational efficiency and environmental safety of the Nord Stream I gas pipeline and also highlighted the importance of creating new direct routes for Russian gas supplies to Europe amid declining domestic production in European countries," the statement reads.

On June 18, Gazprom announced plans to build two additional branches to the Nord Stream from Russia to Germany in a joint project with E.ON, Shell and OMV, with an estimated cost of 9.9 billion euro ($11.2 billion).

The construction of the 1,224-kilometer (760 miles) Nord Stream pipeline was launched in April 2010. Two branches of the pipeline have been operational since 2011 and 2012, with an annual gas throughput of 55 billion cubic meters.