NATO secrets may have been compromised during the German procedure for granting a permit for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a state investigative committee has found.
Die Welt reports on the latest findings of the investigative committee in the regional parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which is investigating the case of the climate foundation established by the authorities of this federal state, which aims to circumvent US sanctions against Nord Stream 2.
According to the daily, NATO secrets may have been compromised during the procedure for granting a permit for the construction of a gas pipeline, carried out by the Stralsund Mining Office. This is evident from the statement of one of the witnesses during the closed session that took place on December 1.
The witness stated that Nord Stream 2 AG, a company owned by Gazprom, tried to access confidential NATO data on submarine sinking areas in the Baltic Sea through the Mining Agency in 2017, during the procedure to establish a plan for the construction of a gas pipeline.
The witness was at the time head of department at the Federal Office for Infrastructure, Environmental Protection and Services of the Bundeswehr. In July 2017, he sent a letter to the Stralsund office writing that he was “very irritated by Nord Stream 2 AG’s interest in certain information about certain areas where submarines have been submerged, which is not clear to him.” He also stated that the Stralsund office does not appear to act impartially, but in favor of Gazprom’s subsidiary.
Construction of Nord Stream 2. Gazprom has requested confidential NATO data. How did Germany respond?
The agency responded to the witness’s testimony with a statement saying it is “normal practice” that permit procedures in the Baltic Sea region also take into account areas marked as military. And he assured that “safety requirements are always respected.”
Thomas Krueger (SPD), member of the investigative committee, stated that the agency Nord Stream 2 AG did not provide any documents containing military secrets or confidential data. He added that the Bundeswehr itself gave permission for the documents to be transferred to Nord Stream 2.
“Die Welt” wonders why the Stralsund Mining Office forwarded Nord Stream 2 AG’s request for confidential NATO information to the Bundeswehr and whether the office “maintained neutrality towards Nord Stream 2”.
The newspaper points out that the latest findings of the investigative committee have “shocked” the opposition in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region and surprised even those who had already discovered many shocking facts regarding the scandal surrounding the gas pipeline connecting Germany with Russia.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
