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No one denies that the act was committed using an explosive device, and therefore should fall under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings of 1997, to which Germany, Denmark and Sweden are parties, he continued.  However, a coordinated campaign to promote completely ridiculous versions of what happened is growing in the Western media, including that Moscow itself blew up a gas pipeline that was functioning in its interests.  He pointed to an investigation by '''Seymour Hersh''' indicating that the explosives were planted by American divers during NATO’s BALTOPS exercises in the summer of 2022.  He further recalled that President Biden said that the United States would “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2.  Western members of the Council will assert that the Russian Federation is distracting the Council from serious matters, but Moscow will continue to seek an objective, thorough investigation of the facts, with the mandatory involvement of its own authorities.<br>

No one denies that the act was committed using an explosive device, and therefore should fall under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings of 1997, to which Germany, Denmark and Sweden are parties, he continued.  However, a coordinated campaign to promote completely ridiculous versions of what happened is growing in the Western media, including that Moscow itself blew up a gas pipeline that was functioning in its interests.  He pointed to an investigation by '''Seymour Hersh''' indicating that the explosives were planted by American divers during NATO’s BALTOPS exercises in the summer of 2022.  He further recalled that President Biden said that the United States would “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2.  Western members of the Council will assert that the Russian Federation is distracting the Council from serious matters, but Moscow will continue to seek an objective, thorough investigation of the facts, with the mandatory involvement of its own authorities.<br>

 

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HAMAMOTO YUKIYA (Japan), underscoring the importance of reliable natural gas supplies, said that given the fragility of the global energy landscape, acts which endanger critical infrastructure pose a risk to many.  Expressing concern over the Nord Stream incident and its long-term environmental implications, he said that Japan is vigilantly following the investigations led by Germany, Sweden and Denmark.  “We have faith that these will be executed with the utmost fairness and transparency,” he said, calling for the outcomes of those investigations to be made public and expeditiously reported to the Security Council.  To address matters affecting international peace and security, the organ needs to have facts before it, he emphasized.<br>

 

 

 

HERNÁN PÉREZ LOOSE (Ecuador) said that there is no justification for attacks against essential civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure.  Such acts exacerbate tensions and could trigger unpredictable consequences, he said, calling on States to avoid speculation and to exercise maximum restraint.  Ecuador will continue to be guided by information provided in the past to the Council by the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, he said, adding that information provided by Sweden, Germany and Denmark reflects the complex nature of ongoing national investigations, which must progress in line with the fundamental principles of the rule of law.<br>

 

 

GENG SHUANG (China), recalling that many Council Members had underscored that investigations into the incident must be objective and impartial, voiced regret that they have not yielded a clear and authoritative conclusion. The countries concerned have been conducting country-specific investigations for quite some time, but their results are elusive.  Further delays will make it harder to collect evidence and could lead to less than credible results.  Investigations must therefore be carried out with a heightened sense of urgency.  Given that the Russian Federation is one of the main parties involved in the explosion, countries concerned must communicate and cooperate with that country rather than reject it, he said, adding that any politicization of the investigation will arouse suspicion.  For its part, the Council must refrain from applying double standards on the issue and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice, he added.<br>

 

DARREN CAMILLERI (Malta), condemning the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, said that such actions pose a serious threat to energy security and regional stability.  They also exacerbate the challenges faced by developing nations resulting from the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.  Describing the investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden as ongoing and complex, he said that Malta does not question their methods or credibility. Claims that enough time has passed to draw conclusions are groundless, he said, adding that speculation fosters distrust among States.  Those three countries have the means to carry out their investigations and establishing more investigations would be counter-productive, he said.<br>

 

 

MOHAMED ISSA ABUSHAHAB (United Arab Emirates), condemning the “acts of sabotage” against the Nord Stream pipelines, recalled that Security Council resolution 2341 (2017) emphasizes the need for international cooperation to protect critical infrastructure.  “Sabotage against transboundary energy infrastructure is a grave threat to international energy security.  When such acts occur, it is vital that competent national authorities investigate,” he said, emphasizing that such investigations should be thorough and fact-based.  While welcoming submissions to the Council on 21 February and 10 July by Denmark, Germany and Sweden, he called for further updates as the investigations move forward.  He further stressed the need for international coordination and cooperation, and hoped that the perpetrators will eventually be identified and brought to account.<br>

 

PEDRO COMISSÁRIO AFONSO (Mozambique) recalled that during his country’s presidency of the Council in March, attempts were made to establish an independent investigation under the auspices of the Secretary-General.  Instead, it was decided that an independent investigation was premature and could interfere with national investigations already underway, he added, underlining that Mozambique supported a speedy end to those efforts.  Despite consensus that the bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline was indeed sabotage, the international community is no closer to the truth and the findings of the ongoing investigations must be brought to light urgently.  “Let us not forget the consequences of impunity. It not only emboldens those who perpetrate such acts, but also weakens the very foundation of international cooperation,” he said.<br>

 

 

 

KHALILAH HACKMAN (Ghana), noting that there is unity among Council members to uncover the facts surrounding the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, underscored the need for concerted global efforts to pre-empt and mitigate such actions.  Supporting the Council’s continued interest in unravelling the facts, she said that differing views among its members do not affect the united position express in previous meetings.  Ghana supports the ongoing investigations as key to ensuring accountability, she said, emphasizing also the need for multiparty cooperation, open and transparent engagement by parties, and the need for a specified timeframe for concluding the investigations.<br>

 

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