Epress.am News from Armenia
The leaders of Germany and Russia on Tuesday will inaugurate the controversial Nord Stream pipeline pumping Russian gas to Western Europe, highlighting its strategic importance to both sides, AP reports.
Angela Merkel and Dmitry Medvedev will headline a guest list including the prime ministers of France and the Netherlands, Francois Fillon and Mark Rutte, and EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger to mark the first of controversial gas links under the Baltic Sea.
The ceremony in the northeastern German town of Lubmin will celebrate the arrival of the first Russian gas through the 1,224-kilometre-long (761 miles) pipeline into the European grid.
Once operational in late 2012, it will transport 55 billion cubic metres (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of gas a year to the EU for at least half a century, enough to supply around 26 million homes, Nord Stream says.
Russia loaded the first gas into the link in September and aims to use it to reduce its dependence on Ukraine and other transit nations where there have been pricing disputes that have in some cases disrupted delivery to Europe.
Nord Stream is becoming operational just as the EU re-assesses its own reliance on Russia — currently supplier of more than a quarter of Europe’s gas — as its primary energy source.
During the visit, RIA Novosti reports, the Russian leader will also discuss trade, economic, energy and security cooperation, as well as prospects of canceling visas between Russia and the EU, with Germany’s top officials.
Stock photos attributed with Creative Commons license.