Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a press conference in Washington on Dec. 10, 2019. (Russian Foreign Ministry photo)
"I assure you that neither Nord Stream 2 nor TurkStream will stop," Lavrov said.
MOSCOW, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Gas pipeline projects between Russia and Europe won't stop despite possible U.S. sanctions, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"I assure you that neither Nord Stream 2 nor TurkStream will stop," Lavrov had said in Washington after talks with U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo and a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, showed a transcript published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline runs from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, and TurkStream is a Russian pipeline that crosses the Black Sea to Turkey.
U.S. lawmakers on Monday evening reached an agreement on the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which would force the Trump administration to sanction companies involved in the two Russian pipeline projects.
Lavrov also said he believes that the U.S. Congress "is literally overwhelmed with the desire to do everything to destroy our relations."
In the end of October, the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) granted a permit for building the last section of the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on the Danish continental shelf.
The Nord Stream 2, a twin pipeline stretching 1,230 km, is scheduled to start operation in the middle of 2020.
The TurkStream pipeline consisting of two 930-km offshore gas pipelines is planned to start operation at the end of this year, and it is also expected to connect Russian gas reserves further to Bulgaria, Serbia and Italy.
Washington accuses Russia of pursuing political goals by building the pipelines, which could increase Europe's dependence on Russian gas.
Moscow says Washington forces Europe to buy its liquefied natural gas instead of cheaper Russian pipeline gas. ■
