Head of OMV called for a response to US threats to the "Nord stream — 2"
The head of the Austrian oil company OMV Rainer Seele said about the need for "political response" to the threat of Washington sanctions against companies involved in the construction of the pipeline "Nord stream — 2", writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
According to him, green said that the question is to what extent Europe will defend its sovereignty and its independence, especially in regard to energy issues.
"As a European company, we expect that at the political level, measures will be taken to ensure that Europe has lost its attractiveness as a place to invest," said Seele.
The U.S. Senate last week approved its version of the defense budget for the 2021 fiscal year, which includes additional sanctions against the "Nord stream — 2". At the same time, according to German media reports, the us increased pressure on European companies involved in the construction of "Nord stream — 2". According to the newspaper Welt, the United States held video talks with the companies-contractors of the "Nord stream — 2" to "to indicate the far-reaching consequences" for further participation in the project. The German government is insisting that reject extraterritorial sanctions, commenting on the sanctions pressure from the United States to the "Nord stream — 2".
The project "Northern stream — 2" involves the construction of a gas pipeline with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year from the coast of the Russian Federation through the Baltic sea to Germany. It implements 2 Nord Stream AG with the sole shareholder - "Gazprom". European partners - Royal Dutch Shell, OMV, Engie, Uniper and Wintershall in total the project is financed by 50% that is worth up to EUR 950 million each.
Against the project actively advocate USA, in the EU promoting its liquefied natural gas, and Ukraine, fearing to lose the transit. States in December imposed sanctions against the "Nord stream — 2", demanding that the companies immediately stop the construction of a gas pipeline. Swiss Allseas almost immediately announced the suspension of such works. Russia has repeatedly pointed out that the project is a commercial and profitable Europe.