European Commission and Russia are ready to hold talks on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
Russia intends to hold the talks with the Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) for Energy Union Affairs, Maros Sefcovic, by early September.
According to the head of the Russian Ministry of Energy, Alexander Novak, the European side already has a mandate from all EU states to negotiate on the construction of the “Nord Stream 2” gas pipeline in Astana.
"Mr. Sefcovic informed me that just yesterday the European Commission received a mandate. We have not seen this document yet; we will have to study it, see it," RIA Novosti quotes the Minister as saying.
According to Novak, Russia's current position is that commercial companies are building the pipeline; European ones, as well as Russian Gazprom. That is, all the relationships within the project would be built on a commercial basis, he explained.
Sefcovic himself said that the mandate would be presented today to the countries that are part of the EU. "We have the right not only to participate in the debate, but also to offer additions to the text,” stressed the European Commissioner.
On June 9, the European Commission sent a request to the Council of the European Union for a mandate for negotiations with Moscow on the “Nord Stream 2” project. The main issue of interest to the EC is compliance with non-discriminatory rules for managing the pipeline with an appropriate level of regulatory oversight, according to the principles of international and European legislation.
The “Nord Stream 2” project will be a main gas line stretching from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea.