This content was published on March 24, 2022 09:02 March 24, 2022 09:02
Vienna, March 24th (EFE) . The Austrian Federation of Industrialists (IV) warned this Thursday that the Alpine republic cannot currently do without gas supplies from Russia in the short term, since it is not the case how to replace them.
“In the short term, there is no alternative to Russian gas, that remains the inconvenient truth,” the IV says in a statement published on its website hours ahead of the summit of European Union (EU) leaders that will examine the possibility in Brussels Reducing the community’s energy dependence on Moscow.
Austria imports 80% of its gas consumption from Russia a percentage twice the EU average (40%) putting it among the 27 countries most dependent on the Eurasian giant.
“Anyone who calls for an abrupt and unforeseen end to oil and gas supplies from Russia must first explain where and how countries like Austria can get the necessary energy sources in the short term,” says Georg Knill, President of the powerful federal government. .
In Austria, a ban on Russian gas imports would “affect everyone, from energyintensive industry to mediumsized companies; Production and supply chains would be under massive threat.
Therefore, “It would have catastrophic effects on our daily lives, on our energy supply and on our economy in general. If we did that, we would destroy our industry and our jobs, he stresses.
The Austrian paper industry had previously warned that a Russian gas lockdown was “the worstcase scenario” for the industry, as in addition to paper, hygiene products such as diapers and toilet paper, food and medicines packaged in paper would also be affected, as well as books, newspapers and magazines .
On the other hand, the OMV group, Austria’s main importer of Russian gas and the largest oil and gas consortium in Central and Southeastern Europe, wants to continue paying Russia’s bills in euros, ignoring the Kremlin’s new requirement to receive transfers in rubles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that his country would refuse payments in foreign currencies, including dollars and euros, and would only charge for energy supplies to “unfriendly” countries, including those in the European Union (EU), in rubles.
“It goes without saying” that OMV Russia will continue to pay for its gas deliveries in euros and not in rubles, since “we have no other contractual basis,” said OMV President Alfred Stern in an interview on Puls24 television last night. . EFE
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