European Commission Has No Intentions to Block Nord Stream 2 Project – Source

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, the European Commission said in a statement that it had sent a request to the Council of the European Union for a mandate to negotiate the key principles of the Nord Stream 2 project operation with Russia.

The source pointed out on Friday that the European Commission would like to sign a legally binding agreement with Russia on the special regulation for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

According to the source, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic may discuss creating a special legal framework for the project with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak during their planned meeting on the sidelines of the international specialized exhibition EXPO 2017 in Astana that will take place later in June.

The source added that if the Commission got the negotiating mandate, the talks with Russia may also be held at the ministerial level.

Nord Stream 2, a joint venture of Russia’s Gazprom with France's Engie, Austria’s OMV AG, Royal Dutch Shell, Germany's Uniper and Wintershall, will bring an estimated 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to Germany across the Baltic Sea, while bypassing Ukraine. The launch of the pipeline is planned for 2018.