RT.com
06 Dec 2021, 16:42 GMT+10
The head of Ukraine's state-owned energy company Naftogaz has called on Germany's regulatory agency to reject certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, calling it a ?mockery? of EU regulations.
Yury Vitrenko's comments, published by EURACTIV Bulgaria last week, come shortly after estimates from the International Monetary Fund that Kiev could lose more than $1 billion annually from its registration, as Russia looks to send gas via the Baltic Sea rather than through Ukraine.
In particular, Vitrenko believes that certification should be required for the entire length of the controversial pipeline, rather than just the last mile on German territory, and it should also be demanded that Russia allows "non-discriminatory third-party access," meaning exporters from Central Asia, such as Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, should be able to use Nord Stream 2 if they wish.
"What we are demanding is first, let's make Nord Stream 2 compliant," Vitrenko said. "Certifying just the last mile makes no sense, it's a mockery of EU rules, and we hope it won't happen."
"We would expect the European Commission to have a very strong position to apply the EU rules to the entire pipeline, and not just to this pipeline, but to all pipelines that connect Russia and the EU."
Nord Stream 2 was completed in September and now connects Russia to Germany, without passing through any third country. This means that once the pipeline starts operation, transit will become less reliant on third parties, thereby lowering the price of gas.
On November 16, the Berlin regulator suspended the controversial project's certification, insisting that Nord Stream 2 AG create a German subsidiary. Once the formalities are completed, it could be turned on next year. The German Energy Ministry described the suspension as a regulatory issue and an interim step.
As well as being opposed by Kiev, the US has also consistently tried to stop the controversial pipeline. According to Washington, the pipeline threatens Europe's "energy security." Some have claimed, however, that the US is actually motivated by its own desire to sell liquified natural gas to the European continent.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Oregon Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Oregon Telegraph.
More InformationRIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...
LONDON, U.K.: This week, BP appointed Simon Henry, former Shell finance chief, to its board as a non-executive director effective September...
OTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global markets showed a mixed performance in Tuesday's trading session, with some indices edging higher...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...
LONDON, U.K.: This week, BP appointed Simon Henry, former Shell finance chief, to its board as a non-executive director effective September...
OTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global markets showed a mixed performance in Tuesday's trading session, with some indices edging higher...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...