In their comments to the Ukrainian publication "Зеркало недели" (The Mirror of the Week) diplomats of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have strongly criticized the project Nord Stream concerning the construction of the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

To the question why is Estonia against the construction of the gas pipeline Nord Stream, Jaan Hein, the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the ER to the Ukraine answered, that Estonia considers priority projects such projects which increase energetic security of the European Union in general, and its members individually, strengthen solidarity between the EU Member States, and facilitate the diversification of the supply sources: “Such projects should unite Europe, and not segregate, as it regrettably happened with regards to the Nord Stream”, - noted Hein to the publication "Зеркало недели".

According to the words of the diplomat, Estonia is worried about the Project Nord Stream with regards to the possible ecological consequences.

“Our country is worried about the ecological situation of the Baltic sea in general. Implementation of the project depends on the assessment made by Finland, Sweden and other states, through exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of which the pipeline route has been planned” – he added.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Vygaudas Ushatskas has also   pointed to the concerns of Lithuania in relation to the selected route of the pipeline Nord Stream along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, which has been granted by the International Marine Organisation the status of “a particularly sensitive marine zone”, and moreover, that the underwater pipeline does not address the issue of energetic isolation of the Baltic States.

As stated by Vygaudas Ushatskas, Lithuania is offering to revise the alternative project of the pipeline Amber, which would go through the territories of the Baltic States and Poland further to Europe.

Latvia, according to the words of Diana Eglite, the head of the press centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic, is of the opinion that ecological assessment of the project Nord Stream shall be fully in line with international legislation (in particular with the provisions of the Convention on the assessment of the effect on the environment in the cross-border context, adopted in 1991 in the Finish town Espoo), and national legislation of the states, territorial waters of which are within the route of the pipeline project.

Material has been prepared by the Centre for Geopolitical Studies with reference to the article from “DELFI.ru“ of 18 January 2009.

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