"To opt out of Russian gas supplies, as it is presupposed in Austria and at the EU level, it is necessary to study and realize all options for terminating the agreement," Gewessler told a news conference.
Austria's energy minister said that one of the reasons for the EU country's "high-level dependence" on Russian gas was the OMV-Gazprom agreement, which provided for fixed obligations for the purchase of Russian gas.
Reducing energy dependence on Russia became one of the EU's top priorities after the start of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, when the bloc decided to phase out its imports of Russian fuels. The decision led to a sharp rise in gas prices in the bloc. To curb the price hike, the European Commission presented several measures, including joint purchasing, price caps and increased energy conservation efforts.
Additionally, as part of these efforts, the bloc has boosted energy cooperation with a number of countries, including the United States, Algeria and Nigeria, with a particular focus on LNG imports.