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Russian news sources have quoted Alexei Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Gazprom, as stating that the European Commission is ready to negotiate increased deliveries through the OPAL pipeline if Ukraine disrupts Russian gas shipments via its territory.

鈥淲e have discussed this issue with the European Commission. It is now as follows: if we record problems with transit via the territory of Ukraine, then the issue of the OPAL pipeline will be raised and it will be solved,鈥� Miller commented.

The 470 km OPAL (Ostsee-Pipeline-Anbindungsleitung) pipeline is one of two projected pipelines connecting the Nord Stream pipeline to the existing network in Central and Western Europe (the other one being the NEL pipeline). It runs from Lubmin, on the German coast, to Olbernhau, near the German-Czech border.

The Nord Stream pipeline is a reliable source of Russian gas delivery to Europe; however, the transport network requires the OPAL pipeline to work at full capacity. Gazprom was unable to run the pipeline at full capacity as the volumes of gas permitted for delivery via the OPAL pipeline were restricted as part of the conditions stipulated by the EU鈥檚 Third Energy Package. The Package notes that companies involved in gas production cannot be the owners of long distance pipelines located in the area.

Edited from various sources by

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