Reinsalu recommends saying “no” to Nord Stream

  • 2012-10-23

TALLINN - Estonian Defense Ministry sent a letter last week to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet in which Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu recommends saying a firm "no" to the wish of Nord Stream AG top conduct studies in Estonia's economic waters, Eesti Paevaleht writes.

Nord Stream wants to conducts the studies to build two more pipelines transporting gas from Russia to Germany in the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Reinsalu says that thorough analyses of the Defense Ministry indicate that Nord Stream AG's "scientific marine studies and potential installation, usage and maintenance of the gas pipeline carry different security risks." Thus Reinsalu recommends saying a firm "no."

Nord Stream AG has installed two gas pipelines in the bottom of the Baltic Sea already. Before doing it, Nord Steam asked in 2007 for a permission to conduct studies in the bottom of the sea too but the Estonian government turned it down then too.