01/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – The French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, recalled that Paris is in favour of abandoning the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project on Monday 1 February on France Inter radio. “We have always said that we have the greatest doubts about this project in this context ”, said Mr Beaune, while stressing that it is a “German decision ”, since the gas pipeline is intended to link Russia to Germany. On the Berlin side of things, German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said that the federal government has not changed its initial position. A few days earlier, on 21 January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had declared that her position on Nord Stream 2 “has not changed” while MEPs had once again called for the project to be abandoned (see EUROPE 12641/8). (DG)