RIA Novosti reported that the volume of natural gas deliveries to Denmark via the Nord Stream pipeline could later be increased to 3 billion cubic meters a year.

Mr Vladimir Putin said currently Denmark is guaranteed 1 billion cubic meters as a minimum. He said that "In the future this volume could be tripled.”

He said the decision had helped improve relations between Russia and Denmark adding that it was an example of a balanced, non politicized approach toward energy issues.

His remark was an indirect jab at Estonia, whose parliament on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the possible environmental fallout from the Nord Stream and said it should not be allowed to go ahead.

Estonian MPs said in particular that the project's developers failed to take into account the specifics of the Baltic Sea as a sensitive ecosystem.

The pipeline will not pass through Estonia, so it has no direct say in the project, but it can present its point of view to transit countries.

Estonian MPs urged their colleagues in other Baltic states to closely supervise environmental risk assessment and the process of granting construction licenses.

The environmental safety of the project which is due to go on stream in 2012 has been queried by several transit countries including Finland.

Sourced from RIA Novosti