Medvedev, Merkel discuss Nord Stream

MOSCOW, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Moscow Thursday to discuss the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline.

The Kremlin said energy security and bilateral ties were on the agenda, as well as an expression of the political will to push through the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia, the Interfax news agency said.

Kremlin sources told the news agency that trade between the two nations reached record levels for 2008.

"The dynamics of trade turnover with Germany, our key foreign trade partner, remains high. The indicators for the first eight months of this year give hope to expect that the volume of mutual trade for 2008 will reach a new record high level exceeding $60 billion," the source said.

The environmental impact and the high cost of the pipeline through the Baltic Sea to Germany have raised questions over its implementation. While the Baltic Sea bed is strewn with unexploded ordnance, a survey released Tuesday shows the route is 94 percent clear of munitions.