China News Agency, Berlin, July 12 (Reporter Peng Dawei) German Chancellor Merkel said on the 12th that she will discuss the disputed "Beixi No. 2" issue between Germany and the United States when she visits the United States this week and meets with U.S. President Biden. She does not believe that this meeting will complete an agreement to resolve related disputes.
Merkel met with the visiting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the Chancellery in Berlin that day.
When the two met with reporters, Merkel made this statement.
Data map: German Chancellor Merkel.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Diao Haiyang
"Beixi-2" is a total length of 1224 kilometers. It is a submarine gas pipeline from Vyborg, Russia, through the Baltic Sea to Greifswald, Germany.
After completion, it will transport a total of 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to Europe together with the parallel "Beixi No. 1" pipeline each year, and is expected to meet 10% of the latter's natural gas demand.
Former US President Trump signed the "National Defense Authorization Act" in December 2019, announcing sanctions on companies participating in the "North Stream II" project.
After the current President Bibi took office, the US government announced in May this year that companies and CEOs related to the project would be exempted from sanctions, but it did not change its opposition to the construction of the "Beixi No. 2" project.
Merkel will start her last visit to the United States as prime minister on the 15th of this month.
She said on the 12th that she would discuss the subject of the "North Stream II" project with US President Biden.
Regarding whether an agreement to resolve this dispute will eventually be formed by then, Merkel admitted frankly that she is not clear, "more precisely, I don't believe this will be achieved."
But she also emphasized that she will discuss with the US and form a common position.
In response to Ukraine’s concern that the “Beixi-2” might threaten its status as a transit country for Russian natural gas exports to Europe, Merkel said on the same day that both Germany and France believe that Ukraine’s status must be maintained and will be serious. Address Uzbek’s concerns.
Regarding Zelensky’s wish to include the negotiations on the "North Stream II" into the framework of the "Normandy model" dialog of the four countries of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, Merkel responded that the energy issue is not part of the formal "Normandy model". One of the issues is not part of the implementation of the Minsk Agreement.
She emphasized that the latter "is complicated enough."
(Finish)