‘Common sense has won’: Berlin lawmaker from Merkel’s party welcomes news about Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion

The Nord Stream 2 link has been of great importance to Germany's energy supply and industry, Mario Czaja, a Berlin lawmaker, told RT, adding he is glad that German politicians did not fall for political games around the project.

Czaja, a long-timer member of the Berlin parliament, representing Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told RT he was happy that the gas pipeline project is nearing its completion despite all the political strife it has seen in the past.

"I am glad that all the political differences that existed between nations were put aside and that [the project] is treated from a rational point of view as an [energy] security issue," he said, adding that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a "commercial economic project" aimed at providing reliable gas supplies.

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Such reliable long-term supplies are of tremendous importance for Germany and its industry, Czaja said, adding that it would particularly help to ensure the economic sustainability of various companies based in Eastern German states. The politician also believes Germany was right to defend it against the project's opponents.

The gas pipeline had a bumpy ride to its completion: the project was delayed on several occasions and faced opposition from the EU and from Washington, which, in particular, imposed sanctions against the projects that scared away some sub-contracting companies involved in the pipeline construction.

Berlin repeatedly resisted political pressure from Washington while stating that the project is of a purely economic nature. Now, according to Czaja, these efforts are about to pay off.

"I am grateful to [prime ministers of Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania] Michael Kretschmer and Manuela Schwesig, as well as to many federal government officials that took a rational approach to this issue and did not misuse [the project] for some political goals," he said.

In the end, common sense has won.

The lawmaker also hailed that fact that Berlin remained a reliable economic partner and stayed true to a deal that was agreed in detail long ago. The pipeline project is nearing its completion as its last section was welded on Monday and final construction works are expected to be finished shortly.

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