Mounting pressure on Nord Stream
The Nord Stream consortium has won the support from several powerful state leaders as well as the European Commission, but has not managed to convince the countries around the Baltic Sea. Now even Germany expresses doubts about the pipeline project.
The ministries of environment in Poland, Estonia and Lithuania have already negatively assessed the 1220 km long gas pipeline projected to run across the Baltic Sea. Now also the Finnish Ministry of Environment says that it needs more information about the project, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports. That comes after two years of careful studies of project plans.
Even the position of Germany now seems unsettled after the country’s Ministry of Defence stated that it is against the project. The German Bundeswehr believes the pipeline could hamper military training grounds in the Baltic Sea.
German Foregin Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has long been a supporter of the pipeline plans. According to Kommersant, the project will be high on the agenda when he today visits Moscow. The minister will meet with both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Also EU Commission President Barroso and Energy Commissioner Piebalgs have on several occasions expressed support for the pipeline.
Meanwhile, pressure on the Nord Stream consortium is mounting. The construction of the project is planned started already next year and gas is run through the pipes from 2011. The final approvement from the five countries affected by the pipeline will have to be secured in the course of this year.
