Russia remains buoyant on Nord Stream 2 certification

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will get all necessary certification and eventually start working, explaining that Ukraine will not be able to undermine the Nord Stream 2 project.

"We believe that this project cannot be disrupted. It was created in line with all requirements of the law,” the deputy prime minister told the RBC media outlet on Wednesday.

Novak said that despite numerous challenges, the process of certification was underway and assured that gas would be delivered to Europe via this pipeline.

The pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany on the bed of the Baltic Sea and bypasses Ukraine, is awaiting regulatory approval from the German regulator, Nord Stream 2 AG, headquartered in Switzerland, and needs to register a subsidiary in Germany. The pipeline was fully constructed in September.

The Russian government previously said that the certification process will be completed by mid-2022. "We have submitted the application for certification this summer. This is a rather lengthy process, although it could be shorter. But, nevertheless, if we talk about the regulations that have been adopted in Europe, this is a rather long process. And we hope that in 2022, by around the middle of the year [the certification process] will be completed,” Novak said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV last week.