The behavior of the Austrian concern OMV in the situation of non-payment for gas supplies from Russia is unfair. The reaction of the Russian side in this regard is fully justified, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, is convinced.
Earlier, OMV announced that it had received a positive decision in a foreign arbitration in a dispute with Gazprom Export and the intention to recover 230 mln. EUR awarded to it for a gas shortage under a contract for Germany by a Russian company against payments under a supply contract to Austria. Later, the Austrian importer received a notification from Gazprom Export to stop gas supplies.
„This is dishonest behavior of the Austrian concern. Our negative reaction to this, it seems to me, is more than justified," the diplomat emphasized at the briefing. “In this case, we will not participate in charity.“
Zakharova drew attention to “another fantastic forgery, forgery at the state level”, referring to the statements of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehhammer during a press conference about the termination of gas supplies to OMV.
„The head of the Austrian government did not spare the accusations - as always, baseless - against our country. He claimed that in Vienna “they will not allow to be blackmailed and will not allow to be brought to their knees”, allegedly despite the suspension of Russian gas supplies, Austria will continue to help the regime in Kiev,”, she noted.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that the decision to reduce gas pumping in September 2022. is due to objective reasons - the explosion of the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline and a transit stop on the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, but these factors were ignored.
Specifically, a clear mechanism for payment of Russian pipeline gas supplies has been prescribed by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and this mechanism “Venoy has been properly followed so far”, the diplomat noted, adding that this decree provides for a suspension of supplies if the payment deadline has arrived but payment has not been made. And the decision that the Austrian concern took will "inevitably lead to the impossibility of making further money transfers and, as a result, a free choice of Russian pipeline gas," Zakharova stressed.