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Boris Pistorius: "We are prepared for every possible situation"
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Boris Pistorius is preparing for an increased risk following the alleged attacks on the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
»We have to adapt to scenarios in which we have to deal with new actors, but possibly also with new goals.
It's not just about gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, but also about natural gas storage facilities or new liquid gas terminals that are currently being built in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein," said the SPD politician to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
Security measures would be increased there.
»We are prepared for every possible situation, always up to date, always with the appropriate deployment of forces.
There is currently no evidence of specific so-called damaging scenarios," he said.
However, the risk situation is still considered to be high in the abstract.
»We adapt to all security scenarios, with all security authorities through to maritime forces.
We do everything we can to always be ahead of the situation,” said Pistorius.
That gives a certain guarantee, but not absolute security.
Four leaks in international waters off the Danish island of Bornholm were discovered this week on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines leading from Russia to Germany.
Although the lines are not in operation, they are filled with gas for technical reasons.
Russia denies being behind the explosions that caused the pipeline leaks.
President Vladimir Putin blamed the West on Friday and spoke of "sabotage".
This was angrily rejected.
Read the SPIEGEL cover story here: What speaks for Russia as a perpetrator - and what against it
Pistorius and Lower Saxony are currently in focus not only because of the gas infrastructure.
A new state parliament will be elected in the federal state on October 9th.
The SPD around Prime Minister Stephan Weil is currently ahead of the CDU in polls.
sak/dpa
