OREANDA-NEWS. The Ukrainian side expects the German regulator to make a decision this week on Kiev's participation in consultations on the certification of Nord Stream-2. The statement was made by Serhiy Makohon, director-general of the Ukrainian GTS Operator, on Facebook.

"A decision is expected this week,"- he said.

Makogon spoke about the application for certification of the pipeline almost three weeks ago, on 20 October. He said the company intends to continue opposing Nord Stream-2 because it carries security risks for the country.

"Nord Stream-2 will only strengthen Gazprom's dominant position but will not contribute to the diversification of supply routes. We consider it necessary to inform our strategic partners about all the risks and threats in case Nord Stream-2 is launched,"- Makogon said.

Gazprom announced the completion of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline in early September. It consists of two strings, each 1,224km long, with a combined capacity of 55bn cu.m. per year. Both are located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and pass through the maritime territories of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

On 8 September, the German regulator began the certification process for Nord Stream-2. According to the Federal Network Agency, it will take four months, after which the project will be sent to the European Commission. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Russian side intends to obtain approval by early next year. Bloomberg assumed that the decision on launching the gas pipeline may not be made until early May 2022 because the European Commission may review the project for four months.