Alternative for Germany to Continue Supporting Nord Stream 2 After Election - Co-Chairman

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The Alternative for Germany ( AfD) party will continue supporting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project after the federal election, Tino Chrupalla, the party’s co-chairman, told Sputnik.

"AfD supports Nord Stream 2, this project … is very important for the energy security of Germany, it is an opportunity to receive cheaper energy. And therefore we strongly reject criticism of this project. This peaceful project, as I call it, should be launched," Chrupalla said.

He expressed hope that the fate of the Nord Stream 2 project will not change under the new government in Germany, regardless of who replaces German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"As of today, we do not yet know who will take this post. But it would be crazy to bury the project. It has already been constructed, negotiations are underway on contracts, and therefore we support it in every possible way. It is important, and we will promote this idea in the new government in the Bundestag," Chrupalla told Sputnik.

He added that his party will work on strengthening dialogue with Russia in order to improve relations with Moscow, which, according to Chrupalla, is important in ensuring peace and security in Europe.

"We already have agreements on interaction with the Russian authorities, and we will continue the dialogue. And, of course, such topics as Nord Stream 2, this is only one of the topics of interaction between the two sides, we will try to give a positive impetus to other topics as well," Chrupalla said, adding that his party has always been in favor of good relations with Russia.

"For us, Russia is Europe, and we want this dialogue and good economic relations," Chrupalla told Sputnik.

According to the latest preliminary results from the electoral commission, the Social Democrats (SPD) are in the lead in the German federal election with 25.4 percent and are neck and neck with the conservatives’ bloc (Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU)), which has 25. 1 percent. The AfD party is fifth with 10.6 percent.

Ahead of the Sunday election, Beatrix von Storch, the leader of AfD’s national-conservative wing, told Sputnik that her party makes no secret of its pro-Russian sentiments, including supporting the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia and backing the launch of the Nord Stream 2 project, which she described as "extremely important for Germany."