Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on European relations with Russia.

​Russia will remain a major supplier of gas to Europe, whether or not Nord Stream 2 is built. However, the pipeline is controversial as it would give Russia greater dominance over the European energy market. We take seriously concerns raised by Ukraine and others. European energy issues are regularly discussed with partners, both in multilateral fora, such as the European Council, and in other bilateral dialogues. All new infrastructure developments should comply with EU internal market and competition rules and should not negatively impact security of supply. The EU's overall relations with Russia are determined by the Five Guiding Principles, as agreed in March 2016 and reconfirmed by Foreign Ministers at April's Foreign Affairs Council.