Germany's Merkel seeks to calm Poland's Nord Stream 2 fears

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a roll of paper that will go inside a time capsule during the 750th city anniversary celebrations in Burgergarten, in Templin, Germany September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

WARSAW (Reuters) -German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to soothe fears over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on Saturday, on a farewell visit to Poland during which she also struck a conciliatory tone on Warsaw's conflict with the European Union over judicial reforms.

As Merkel's time as Chancellor draws to a close, the issue of the pipeline from Russia has soured relations with central and eastern European nations, some of them EU members, who say it will increase the bloc's dependence on Russian gas and could be used by Moscow to exert pressure.