Pyongyang, October 15 - Neftegaz.RU. North Korea's Workers Party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun's Monday edition highlighted conflicts surrounding a joint gas pipeline project between Germany and Russia, supporting Russia's argument that European countries should approve the project, Korea Times reported.
In a relatively toned-down editorial titled «Complex contradictions surrounding 'Nord Stream 2,'» the newspaper said the American attempt to sanction countries involved in the project was aimed at replacing Russian gas with the U.S. LNG.
The editorial came out 2 days after the DPRK Information Committee, the North Korean government's organization committed to state-level public relations, began a rare trip to the U.K., France and Hong Kong.
These moves are seen as North Korea's efforts to raise its voice in international diplomacy, strengthening its ties with other countries as well as traditional close alliances with Russia and China to fight back against U.S. sanctions.
The North Korean newspaper also criticized the «double standards» of European countries that opposed the Russia-Europe joint project. «Friction has been widening between Europe and the U.S. due to U.S additional tariffs on steel and aluminum, but Europe is not even trying to shift to active cooperation with Russia,» Rodong reported.
