Finnish lawmakers to debate Nord Stream

HELSINKI, Finland, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Finnish lawmakers have placed the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline from Russian on the agenda for the plenary session of the national Parliament.

Nord Stream would travel along a dual route through the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea to Germany. It is among the many options meant to ease the burden on Ukraine, which hosts the majority of all Russian export gas to Europe.

Several littoral states in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea had expressed concern over the environmental impact of pipeline construction, which is complicated by World War II munitions strewn along the sea floor.

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said the Nord Stream gas pipeline did not pose a security risk, noting energy cooperation with Russia would actually bring stability.

Vanhanen said his country might give the necessary permits for Russia to build Nord Stream in its territorial waters as early as this year.

Lawmakers said they would put the matter on their national agenda, which the Finnish news agency STT says means they are set to debate the matter before moving ahead with the permit process.

Some lawmakers had expressed concerns over the environmental impact of the project, though Paula Lehtomaki, the Finnish environment minister, said the environmental impact appeared "manageable."