Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday rejected as unfounded allegations that Russia's Nord Stream and South Stream pipeline project projects were aimed at making Europe dependent on Russian energy supplies.
"When Nord Stream or South Stream is sometimes portrayed as Moscow's attempt to make Europe dependent on energy supplies from Russia, this looks like a dishonest and perhaps absolutely unjustified manipulation. These are mutually advantageous and absolutely apolitical things in my opinion," Medvedev told Polish media ahead of his visit to Warsaw.
Nord Stream and South Stream will bring gas from Russia's northern gas fields and Central Asia respectively to Europe, bypassing traditional transit routes via Ukraine and central Europe.
Medvedev added that the European Union is Russia's largest trade partner with an annual trade turnover of over 200 billion euros.
"It is possible to call Nord Stream a political project. If energy diversification in Europe and guaranteed energy supplies from Russia are political issues, then this is a political project," he said.
"Russia is interested in selling gas to the largest possible number of consumers, while Europe is interested in receiving this energy, including gas, processing it, heating houses, launching new projects and firms. In this regard, there is no politics as this is mutually advantageous thing. But there are some political aspects, considering that this is a major project, which requires the political approval of a number of states," Medvedev added.
MOSCOW, December 6 (RIA Novosti)
