Russia is ready to consider requests from EU countries for a joint investigation into recent incidents on the Nord Stream offshore gas pipelines, if any, but so far there have been none, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on Wednesday.
"If there are any appeals, we will consider them. As far as I know, there have not been any yet," Grushko said, when asked about Russia's possible cooperation with EU member states in investigating incidents on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
The remarks come after EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Wednesday that “the European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines […]."
“Safety and environmental concerns are of utmost priority. These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all. All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act”, Borrell noted.
He added that the EU will support any investigation into the Nord Stream incidents, as well as will take further steps to improve its energy security.
On Monday, the Nord Stream AG operator told Sputnik that a landfall dispatcher had registered a rapid gas pressure drop on Line A of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The incident occurred in Danish waters near the island of Bornholm. Later in the day, the operator also said that a pressure drop had been registered on both strings of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.