"Nord Stream-2 to be finished despite U.S. sanctions"

Russia will finish construction of the Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline in spite of the U.S. sanctions, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin said.

"We are sure that construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline will be finished successfully in spite of the sanction pressure that the U.S. exerts. Russia’s Foreign Ministry will support that to the maximum possible extent," the diplomat said.

He stressed that inclusion of the sanction articles against the Nord Stream-2 and the Turkish Stream pipelines into the U.S. defense budget for 2020 is direct interference in operations of the European businesses, PRIME reported.

"The goal is not about providing assistance to the European energy security, which is only being strengthened by Russian export gas project. Their goal is to enforce the U.S. liquefied natural as on the European market. It is a blatant example of unfair competition," Pankik added.

Earlier, deputy director of energy policy of the Institute of Energy and Finances, Alexey Belogoriev, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the deadline for completing the project doesn't depend on only Russia. "The fact is that the Akademik Chersky pipe-laying vessel will not be able to participate in the laying of Nord Stream-2 - it was bought for the Sakhalin-3 project," he said.

This means that Gazprom has only the Fortuna barge. "The question is being solved with the Danish authorities: do they agree to the option of technical escorting Fortuna by other vessels that will ensure its dynamic positioning in the open sea. If the Danish authorities agree, then in May or June Fortuna will be able to begin construction, in this case the remaining section will be finished by the end of the year," Alexey Belogoryev explained.