BERLIN, Sept 8: The leaders of Russia and Germany gave their blessing on Thursday to a gas pipeline deal that cements Berlin’s energy ties to Moscow, but which Poland and others fear leaves them vulnerable to the whims of the Kremlin.

The deal on the pipeline, which will ship Siberian gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Poland and the Baltic states, was signed by Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom, German utility E.ON and Wintershall, a unit of German chemical maker BASF.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder stressed the strategic importance of the project for the further development of German-Russian relations in the energy sector, the three firms said in a joint statement.

The deal, worth over four billion euros ($5.0 billion), was sealed in April when Mr Putin visited Mr Schroeder in his home town of Hanover. It was finalized by the two leaders on Thursday.—Reuters