"Nord Stream 2 is an important economic project, which we support and it should not be threatened by sanctions from the third countries," Oppermann said at a meeting with Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament.
The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction of two gas pipelines that will run from the Russian coast, through the Baltic Sea and to a hub in Germany, bypassing Ukraine entirely. It is a joint venture of the Russian Gazprom energy giant with French Engie, Austrian OMV AG, UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and German Uniper and Wintershall.
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The Nord Stream 2 project has been welcomed by some countries in Europe, such as Germany and Austria, and opposed by others, including Eastern European states, such as Ukraine, which currently transfers Russian gas to Europe and may suffer transit revenue drops if Nord Stream 2 becomes operational.