China calls for an objective investigation of the sabotage committed in September last year on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. This was announced on Wednesday, February 22, by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
“The Chinese side is confident that an objective, impartial and professional investigation should be carried out regarding this. It is imperative to identify those responsible for this,” he said at a briefing.
A few days earlier, Wenbin said that the international community has the right to demand a thorough investigation into the Nord Stream explosions, given the serious consequences of the crime. He stressed that the sabotage had a strong negative impact on the entire global energy market, and expressed bewilderment that US officials and the US media continue to maintain “unusual silence”, and some European countries seem to “have many concerns” about the investigation. .
On February 21, a meeting of the UN Security Council on explosions at the Nord Stream, requested by Russia, was held. At the event, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebezia called for an independent investigation. He also added that the countries that were behind the explosion should compensate for the damage. The organization’s deputy secretary general, Rosemary DiCarlo, said in response that the UN could not confirm or verify the sabotage allegations, as it awaited the results of national investigations.
The day before, the UN announced that the Secretary General of the organization, António Guterres, would comply with the decision of the Security Council to investigate the explosions at Nord Stream, if it was accepted. At the same time, the world organization previously reported that there was no mandate to conduct an investigation.
Denmark, Germany and Sweden, in turn, prepared a joint statement by the permanent missions of the three countries to the UN. It states that the investigation into the terrorist attacks on gas pipelines has not been completed, and the timing of its completion is still unknown.
Earlier, on February 16, the State Duma adopted a draft appeal to the UN calling for an international investigation into the explosions. The document was prepared by the committee on international affairs, it was unanimously supported by all factions. In addition, the Russian Federation requested a meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with the information about the explosion of gas pipelines by the US military and their Norwegian accomplices, which was published by the American journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh.
The Russian Federation also stated that Moscow would not allow the situation with the undermining of gas pipelines to be “rolled up”, especially given the fact that nothing is known about the remaining unexploded charges, and requires a comprehensive and independent investigation.
Leaks at Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 were discovered in September 2022. The representative of the seismic center of Sweden, Bjorn Lund, said that two powerful underwater explosions were registered in the area of leaks in pipelines at the time of the emergency. Traces of explosives were found at the crash site. The Russian Federation called the incident an act of state terrorism.
