Austria on Thursday mentioned it was it was summoning the European Commission’s envoy for reportedly criticizing the gradual tempo at which Vienna is weaning itself off Russian gasoline and saying it was paying “blood money” for the gas.
Martin Selmayr, a German EU official who was the highly effective chief of workers to the fee’s then-President Jean-Claude Juncker till 2018, made the feedback at an occasion in Vienna on Wednesday night, in line with Austrian news company APA.
“Oh my God, 55% of Austrian gas continues to come from Russia,” APA quoted Selmayr as saying. He expressed astonishment on the lack of protests over Austria’s gasoline funds serving to fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including: “Blood money is being sent daily to Russia.”
The European Commission later issued an announcement criticizing Selmayr.
“The Commission distances itself from the regrettable and inappropriate statements made by the head of the representation office in Austria,” it mentioned. “The Commission has asked (him) to report to Brussels immediately on this incident.”
According to the most recent Austrian authorities information, in June 60% of Austria’s pure gasoline imports got here from Russia, down from round 80% earlier than the battle however effectively above the bottom month-to-month determine since then, which stood at 21% in September final 12 months.
“Mr Selmayr has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a meeting with the (ministry’s) secretary-general,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement, including that Selmayr was at the moment in a foreign country however the assembly would happen on his return.
After a long time of heavy reliance on low-cost Russian gasoline despatched by pipeline, Austria’s coalition authorities of conservatives and left-wing Greens says it’s shifting away from Russia as a gasoline provider however that the nation faces varied obstacles, together with the actual fact it’s land-locked.
Other nations, corresponding to neighboring Germany, are rising their capability to import liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) from different areas at their ports.
Austria’s minister for European Union affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, mentioned in an announcement: “We can only overcome the challenges ahead of us by working closely together. Not only do thoughtless comments such as those reportedly made not contribute to that but they are unsound and counterproductive.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
