After China admitted that the Newnew Polar Bear severed the Balticconnector pipeline, Finland and Estonia announced that they would announce the results of the investigation into the gas pipeline in the fall.
Finland and Estonia will present the results of the investigation into the circumstances and causes of the Balticconnector gas pipeline's disruption as early as possible in the fall; cooperation with China will continue, senior investigator Risto Lohi of the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation informed.
"Final and Estonian officials are working with Chinese authorities on the incident. The documents have been exchanged and there is progress in the investigation process" - Helsingin Sanomat quoted Mr. Risto Lohi as saying.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation will not comment on the stages of the investigation, with the Hels Sanomat report on the investigation into the Balticconnector pipeline break stating.
China admitted that the Newnew Polar Bear owned by the country's enterprise severed the Balticconnector gas pipeline. China said the incident with the Baltic gas pipeline was an accident caused by a major typhoon.
The information was published by SCMP on the evening of August 12, citing 2 sources with expertise. Sources said that after the investigation, China reported the results to the Finnish and Estonian authorities.
The Finnish newspaper YLE said that the report of Chinese investigators admitting the Newnew Polar Bear responsible for the Balticconnector gas pipeline break cannot be used as evidence in investigations of Baltic countries.
Kairi Kungas, head of public relations at the Estonian prosecutor's office, stressed that "in any case, this report cannot be used as evidence in Estonian criminal investigations" because Chinese authorities did not invite Estonian investigators to participate in the investigation.
Similarly, Anna Zareff - a spokeswoman for the National Investigation Agency of Finland (NBI) - noted that the investigation into the Balticconnector pipeline break in Finland is still underway.
"During the investigation, there was cooperation with the Chinese government, including a request for legal aid. It should be noted that the investigation is still ongoing and a final conclusion on the case can only be reached after all necessary investigation measures have been completed. This will take a while," she said.
The investigation into the Baltic pipeline break is still ongoing, which is why she did not comment on the details of the incident, said Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. Valtonen's special adviser told Finnish news agency STT that Finland is continuously cooperating and exchanging information with China about the incident.
The underground gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia stopped operating last October due to suspected leaks. Finnish authorities said on 10 October 2023 that the damaged pipeline was discovered early on 9 October with clear traces of external impact. The Finnish Foreign Ministry has since held diplomatic contacts with Russia and China over the Balticconnector pipeline disruption.
The Balticconnector pipeline has a total length of 151km, including 77km on the seabed in the Gulf of Finland. The underground section of the pipeline connects the city of Inkoo (Uusimaa, southern Finland) and Paldiski ( Harjumaa district, northern Estonia). The capacity of the Balticconnector pipeline is 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The gas runs through a single pipeline in both the north and south directions.
