German protesters call for opening of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Some hundreds of Germans protested in the eastern German seaside town of Lubmin on Sunday, calling to put into service the halted Nord Stream 2 pipeline project that was designed to transport fuel from Russia to Germany but was put on ice after the war in Ukraine broke out.
"Open Nord Stream 2" read one placard, "The government must go", read another. "When someone turns off a gas tap, turns off the heating, these are not normal conditions and they can't be. Germany is one of the richest countries in the world and then something like that is just not possible," said protest organiser Martin Klein. Lubmin is the city, where the Nord Stream 2 pipeline lands in Germany.
A group of Ukrainian women got in front of the stage to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine but were escorted away by security staff.
Recently also German Economy Minister Robert Habeck visited Lubmin, stating that he didn't see “a scenario, or no foreseeable scenario where Nord Stream 2 would play a role for Germany’s energy security.”
The protest took place on the second day of a two-day trip to the Gulf region by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in order to intensify energy cooperation and secure independence from Russia.
Scholz and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani, spoke about LNG supplies in the light of the current energy crisis during their meeting in Doha on Sunday.
"We want to make further progress on this soon. At the same time, we will push ahead with cooperation on hydrogen, which will play a key role in the decarbonisation and electrification of our economy," Scholz told reporters during a joint news conference.
Scholz also commented on the upcoming FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, welcoming "numerous improvements in workers' rights in recent years" by Qatar, "in particular the abolition of the Kavalah wage system and the introduction of a minimum wage."
German utility RWE has signed a deal with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to deliver liquefied natural gas to Europe's largest economy by the end of December, RWE announced on Sunday.
Though the initial amount to be delivered is relatively small, it's a politically significant deal to shore up supplies of gas from outside of Russia as Scholz seeks to deepen ties with the Gulf and find alternative energy sources.
The deal, which includes a memorandum of understanding for multi-year supplies of LNG, came on the second day of a two-day trip to the Gulf region by Scholz.
