Nord Stream-2 Beneficial to All Parties, Including Finnish Firms - Russian PM

The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project is beneficial to all parties, including Finnish companies that can participate in the creation of infrastructure, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.

OULU (Sputnik) — The start of the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline is planned for 2018. It aims to deliver up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany annually via the Baltic Sea. Russian energy giant Gazprom has a shareholder agreement to extend the existing Nord Stream with partner European energy firms.

"The project is beneficial to all who take part in it, including Finnish companies, which, if such decisions are made, will participate in the creation of infrastructure. Therefore, we expect that in the negotiations and the agreements that may appear on this basis, everything will be implemented as successfully as with Nord Stream-1," Medvedev said after talks with Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila.

He said the initiative to promote the project came from European businesses. In making decisions, Moscow will be guided by international law, as well as the highest environmental standards, he said.

"Indeed, we consider this project very important, large, but at the same time completely commercial, which is of great importance for improving the reliability of gas supply to Europe," Medvedev said.

Sipila said Friday that the Finnish government had given preliminary approval to conduct the necessary research on the route of Nord Stream-2.

"The government of Finland has given its conditional approval for the necessary research. The route also needs other permits, including environmental impact assessment, for laying and construction," he told reporters.