German lawmaker calls for restart of Nord Stream pipeline

A German lawmaker has called for restart of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, as the halt of gas transit caused soaring energy prices in the European Union (EU) states.

The halt in Russian gas transit through Ukraine has heightened fears over supply shortages and soaring energy costs in Europe.

Both Ukraine and Russia announced the stoppage of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine's territory to Europe on Wednesday, pushing some EU countries to resort to costlier energy alternatives.

Sevim Dagdelen, left-wing Member of German Bundestag, wrote on her social media platform on Thursday that the halt of the transit of Russian gas in Europe further drives the energy price up, complaining that "the German government and the EU are happily watching the destruction of European industry due to high energy prices."

Dagdelen proposed that Germany should take immediate action to repair and restart the Nord Stream pipeline to alleviate the problem of natural gas shortages.

Dagdelen is not the first German lawmaker to call for the restart of the Nord Stream pipeline. Last September, Tino Chrupalla, co-chairman of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany, said that this submarine pipeline is the lifeline of German industry and that the Nord Stream pipeline must be repaired, restarted and protected.

On New Year's Day, European natural gas futures prices hit their highest level since October 2023 after Russia's natural gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine were stopped.

In addition, the supply cut has begun to affect many European countries, including Slovakia and its neighbor Poland.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday said that the halt will have "severe consequences for all of us in the European Union (EU), but will not harm Russia."

Fico said that Slovakia stands to lose hundreds of millions of euros in gas transit fees, while its citizens will face higher gas and electricity bills. He criticized major EU nations for prioritizing geopolitical goals at the expense of smaller countries' interests and needs.

On the same day, Slovakia's gas importer, SPP, announced that it has contingency plans in place to ensure gas supplies through alternative channels, such as utilizing pipelines from Germany and Hungary. However, this will incur additional transit fees.

At present, Slovakia is considering taking retaliatory measures against Ukraine. The ruling coalition in Slovakia has reached a preliminary agreement to stop the supply of electricity to Ukraine and significantly reduce support for Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia. The government is expected to announce the decision next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in Slovakia's neighbor Poland, some officials have proposed that if Slovakia cuts off the power supply to Ukraine, Poland is willing to transport electricity from its own power plants to help Ukraine through the difficulties.

In this regard, Lukasz Wojdyga, director of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, pointed out that Poland's electricity production mainly relies on coal, and the additional emission costs it pays account for 60 percent of the energy price, making Poland one of the countries with the most expensive electricity prices in the European Union. If Poland is determined to help Ukraine fill the electricity gap, transmitting electricity to Ukraine will further increase costs, and ultimately the interests of its own consumers will be harmed, he noted.

German lawmaker calls for restart of Nord Stream pipeline

German lawmaker calls for restart of Nord Stream pipeline

The 62 households of Ganden Village in Chamco Township of quake-hit Dingri County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region have started moving into transitional houses and received essential supplies, with efforts underway to recover their valuables buried under the rubble.

Three teams of a special police unit from the Xigaze Public Security Bureau was seen helping villagers recover highland barley from the debris. This is a very labor-intensive job, but for the affected residents, the safe transfer of their belongings is a great comfort.

The teams have been working tirelessly, with a goal of clearing at least six houses a day. Penpa, a Ganden villager who lost one family member in the quake, had all his food and valuables buried in the collapsed house. It took the special police rescuers nearly a whole day to clean up.

"They came to help us out as soon as they finished lunch. I'm very happy," said Lhamo, Penpa's daughter.

"We've got everything, we can relax now. With everything being moved out and a place to live in as arranged by the government, we have nothing to worry about," Penpa said. On Saturday, the Xigaze special police detachment's Ganden rescue group cleared five collapsed houses, recovering 814 items and 98,001.1 yuan (13,367 U.S. dollars) in cash. The debris clearing and property transfer work is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) quickly set up tent banks at the resettlement sites, providing financial services like deposits and withdrawals for the affected residents.

"I received 60,000 yuan of insurance compensation because of the earthquake. As my house has collapsed, there is no place to keep the money safe. The bank staff helped me deposit it, and I feel much relieved," said Phuntsog Tsering, a villager in Chamco.

With residents settled down at their temporary settlements, discussions are shifting towards reconstructing unsafe homes and restoring agricultural facilities. Bank staff are proactively assessing financial needs, particularly for individual businesses.

"II submitted a loan application before the earthquake, and I thought that the business could not be handled after the quake. What surprised me was that the bank staff directly came to my tent and gave me the loan. I'm especially grateful to them," said Chodron, a villager in Qulho Township.

"While participating in disaster relief and resettlement, we're also visiting people at their doorsteps, learning their financial service needs and handling credit business for them. We hope that we can provide the best possible help to the people affected," said Baima Gyalpo, governor of ABC Xizang Dingri County Branch.

As of the end of Friday, the banking industry has issued over 700 loans totaling 394.8 million yuan, including 85.18 million yuan from the ABC to support disaster relief efforts.

The Xizang Banking Regulatory Bureau also reported that as of Sunday, the insurance industry has paid out and pre-paid 70.4733 million yuan, with 6,424 households receiving agricultural housing insurance claims of 53.1439 million yuan, to help the victims rebuild their homes and restore normal life.

Special police forces, banks join earthquake relief work in Xizang