Russia: Nord Stream pipelines can be restored, says RDIF head
ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. The Nord Stream gas pipelines can still be restored, and there are sensible politicians in Europe who are calling for exactly that, Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the Russian President for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
"Sensible [political] forces in Europe, in Germany, understand that Nord Stream needs to be restored. And we are already hearing the echoes of such ideas and proposals," he said.
"Technically, it is certainly possible," he added, answering TASS's question about whether gas supplies along this route could be restored in the foreseeable future.
According to him, the position of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which "openly talks about it," is an important signal.
"They have launched an investigation into why the Nord Streams were blown up. Germans understand that because they are not receiving a stable source of cheap Russian energy, energy prices in Germany have risen by 30-40%. This is leading to Germany's de-industrialization, <...> Europe has lost more than $3 trillion due to this rejection of Russian energy," Dmitriev emphasized.
Earlier, Markus Frohnmaier, deputy leader and foreign policy expert of the AfD faction in the Bundestag, told TASS that Germany is open to bringing Nord Stream back online after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
On September 26, 2022, explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which were laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to transport Russian gas to Europe. The total design capacity of the gas pipelines is 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has initiated a case of international terrorism.
SPIEF is taking place on June 3-6. This year's main theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." The forum's program focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the forum, with TASS serving as its general information partner.
