German Foreign Minister Haiko Maas said that Berlin considers the Nord Stream-2 project to be "commercial," but will bear in mind that "it is necessary to conduct more thorough discussions on this issue."
His statement came after a meeting with his counterparts from the Baltic States on Friday, during which Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said that the positions of Germany and the Baltic countries on the construction of the pipeline are different.
"Mildly speaking, our views do not coincide. We believe that this project doesn't correspond to Europe's energy policy and, of course, its priorities," he said.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is projected to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to the EU across the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.
READ MORE: Germany Starts Preparatory Construction Works for Nord Stream 2
Some EU countries, including Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States, have continuously spoken against Nord Stream 2, claiming that the project will increase Europe's dependence on imported Russian gas.
The project has also been opposed by the United States, which seeks to export its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe.