"We hope that there will be no sanctions. If [US restrictions are imposed], the project will be implemented anyway, the pipe laying has already started," Novak told reporters, adding that the plan envisions the project to be completed by the end of 2019.
8 October 2018, 13:34 GMT
Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russia's gas giant Gazprom and five European companies. It aims to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to the European Union across the Baltic Sea.
The United States, seeking to promote its liquefied natural gas in the European market, has made a number of attempts to impede the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project and even incorporated a provision for counteracting the construction of the pipeline in its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
READ MORE: Nord Stream 2 Project Ensures Energy Security — German Economy Minister
