BRUSSELS. Oct 11 (Interfax) - NATO is exchanging information with Finland and Estonia over the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and is ready to help them, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
However, it is necessary to wait for investigation results, he said.
"I spoke yesterday with Finnish president and with the prime minister of Estonia. They updated me on the ongoing national investigations. They shared what they found with NATO. I told them that we are ready to help them with their national investigations, and I also updated them on what NATO is doing in general to protect our critical infrastructure," Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, where a meeting between the defense ministers of the NATO countries is being held.
He noted the importance for the NATO countries of measures to protect critical underwater infrastructure. NATO increased its vigilance in this sphere after the sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines, he said. Stoltenberg emphasized that the NATO countries need to share "information, intelligence, and best practices" to protect this infrastructure.
Responding to a follow-up question as to what NATO could do if deliberate destruction of the Balticconnector pipeline is found, Stoltenberg said that "there are ongoing investigations and until they are finalized it is a bit too early to tell."
"But if it is proven that it is a deliberate attack on allies' critical undersea infrastructure, this would be a very serious incident, and it would be met by a united and determined response from NATO," he said.
"But it remains to determine what caused the damage, and therefore, I think it's a bit too early to say exactly how NATO will respond [...]. But we share information constantly at different levels, at technical level and political level with NATO allies Estonia and Finland," Stoltenberg said.
The Balticconnector gas pipeline, connecting Estonia's Paldisk to Finland's Inkoo, with the underwater part being 77 km long, was shut down on October 8 due to damage. According to the Finnish side, the accident occurred in its economic zone (at a depth of some 60 meters, the pipe diameter is 50 cm). The cause of the leak and damage of the nearby communication cable is currently unknown.