(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The European Commission has taken note of a statement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba requesting consultations on the Nord Stream 2 project and is ready to discuss this issue, but Brussels has not yet received such a formal request from Ukraine.
European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant said this at a briefing in Brussels on Thursday, July 22, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"To our knowledge so far, before we started this midday briefing, it [the request] hasn't been received. We are ready to discuss this issue with Ukraine. Energy policy does have a foreign policy dimension, which is very important. We will discuss this issue with member states and neighboring countries. As for Ukraine, it will be the subject of a discussion that will take place soon," Spinant said.
Tim McPhie, the spokesperson for Climate Action and Energy at the European Commission, in turn, recalled that "Nord Stream 2 is not a project of common European interest." "Nevertheless, the Commission's objective has always been to ensure that Nord Stream 2, if built, should operate in a transparent and non-discriminatory way, with the appropriate degree of regulatory oversight and in line with international and EU energy law," he said.
"Implementing the EU's energy policy is a matter for the EU and its member states. Since the entry into force of the amended EU Gas Directive in 2019, the EU has clear rules in place that apply to all pipelines linking the European gas market to a third country which are designed to prevent preferential access. Furthermore, the Commission is closely following the transposition of the Directive by member states. In particular, Germany has notified complete transposition, which is relevant for Nord Stream 2," McPhie said.
"The Commission takes note of the statement by the governments of Germany and the United States and welcomes the strong commitment of Germany to abide by both the letter and the spirit of the Third Energy Package with respect to Nord Stream 2," he added.
He noted that "Ukraine is a reliable transit country, and the EU facilitated the current transit agreement that will run until 2024, based on EU energy rules applied in Ukraine."
"We stand ready to facilitate discussions on the prolongation of this transit agreement. At the same time, we are working intensively with Ukraine to support its transition towards cleaner energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, in line with cooperation with many countries around the world on the European Green Deal," McPhie said.
He noted that EU energy policy was not only a national concern. "It requires coordination with the EU and amongst member states. The Commission intends to discuss with the member states the details of the implementation of this agreement to ensure that any measures were coordinated in line with the spirit of solidarity," McPhie said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed earlier that the Ukrainian side did not participate in the preparation of the U.S.-Germany agreement on Nord Stream 2. At the same time, Ukraine continues its dialogue with all partners on ways to reduce key energy threats from Russia and strengthen the energy resilience of Ukraine and Central Europe.
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