The leaders of Russia and Germany will officially open a $10.2 billion natural gas pipeline Tuesday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will attend opening ceremonies at the point where the pipeline leaves the Baltic Sea at the German town of Lubmin.

The pipeline stretches more than 1,200 kilometers from the St. Petersburg, Russia area, underwater in the Baltic Sea and into Germany.

The pipeline will transport 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to the European Union over the next 50 years.