Nord Stream to Operate Again Once Power Changes in Europe - German Politician

SIMFEROPOL, (Sputnik) - Giving up on the Nord Stream gas pipelines is premature, since these projects are necessary for European countries, Waldemar Herdt, an ex-Bundestag deputy from the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

He noted that talks about abandoning the Nord Stream gas pipelines were premature and expressed confidence that as soon as there is a change of power in the West, including Germany, all the strings of Nord Stream will be again put into operation.

According to the politician, Russian gas guarantees cheap energy, which is extremely important for the support and development of the economies of western European countries.

On September 26, a rapid gas pressure drop and leakage were registered on gas pipelines of the Russian-led Nord Stream network that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. According to Sweden, Germany and Denmark, the incidents could be a result of sabotage. The operator, Nord Stream AG, said it was impossible so far to estimate a time frame for repair work.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has classified the pipeline explosions as acts of international terrorism. Meanwhile, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said his government was intending to deny Russia a role in the probe and the identification of those responsible. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the investigation of terrorist attacks can be considered reliable and objective only if Moscow participates in it.

On September 28, the German Federal Network Agency said that the recent explosions on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines did not have a significant impact on gas imports to Germany, as no gas had been supplied through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline since early September, while Nord Stream 2 had never even started operations.