This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Prague • Slovakia's economy minister says his country will join forces with other Central and Eastern members of the European Union to protest a recent deal to expand a pipeline that delivers natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.
The plan, known as Nord Stream 2, already received angry reactions from some, including Ukraine and Slovakia, as the pipeline bypasses the traditional transit countries for Russian gas to Europe.
It is meant to expand the current Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea that directly links Germany with Siberia's gas reserves.
Vazil Hudak says the plan goes against the interest of the entire EU and harms Ukraine.
He says the nations will send a letter to EU leaders, demanding the deal is on the agenda of the EU summit in December.