Austria needs Russia to ensure energy security, Moscow gas "flocks" to Ankara

On September 4, speaking on ORF television channel, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer emphasized that buying gas from Russia is not a pleasant thing, but the country needs Moscow to ensure energy security.

Áo cần Nga để đảm bảo an ninh năng lượng, khí đốt Moscow 'nườm nượp' sang Ankara

In July 2023, 66% of Austria's gas imports came from Russia. (Source: Reuters)

Responding to a question about whether Austria would abandon Russian gas, Mr. Nehammer said that the country's top priority is ensuring energy security. If this is violated, the system of production and energy supply to the people will be interrupted.

In June 2018, Russia's Gazprom Export LLC and Austria's OMV Gas Marketing & Trading GmbH signed an agreement to extend the contract for Russia to supply natural gas to Austria until 2040.

OMV head Alfred Stern said OMV will continue to buy Russian gas under the contract because the company is not subject to sanctions from the European Union (EU).

According to the European Network of Gas Transport System Operators (ENTSOG), by July 2023, 66% of Vienna's gas imports were from Moscow.

* On the same day, after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the two countries will establish a working group to deploy the gas center.

President Putin stated: “Gazprom has handed over to Botas a draft roadmap for the implementation of this project (gas hub in Türkiye). The establishment of a joint working group and coordination of the legal framework for the functioning of the hub, as well as business plans and the transfer of purchased gas are on the agenda.”

The Russian leader stressed that in 2022, Moscow provided Ankara with 21 billion cubic meters of gas through the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines and more than 10 billion cubic meters in the period from January to August 2023.

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