Băsescu issues a warning to OMV Austria

The increasing closeness between Austria and Russia seems to have greatly upset Traian Băsescu, who has announced yesterday that he has sent a message to the Austrian officials of OMV, telling them that they would be Romania's partners as long as Romania's national is served with priority. The president said: "There are numerous pieces information in the press that OMV Austria seems to be engaging in policies which are not beneficial to the Romanian state. I am saying it openly, directly, that they will be our partners as long as Romania's national interest is served with priority".

Some analysts claim that the statements made by the president were caused by the privileged relationship that OMV has with Gazprom, by OMV's wish to join South Stream, "in other words, the collaborationism of the Austrian company with Russia".

The signing of the agreement for the building of the South Stream pipeline was considered a challenge of the EU by Austria. In June, OMV and Gazprom have agreed to create a joint company which would build and operate the Austrian segment of the South Stream gas pipeline. Moreover, in the beginning of August, OMV Austria CEO, Gerhard Roiss, said that Europe would be shooting itself in the foot if it were to prohibit the construction of the pipeline.

Later, the "eternal" rumor appeared that Gazprom would like to buy almost one quarter of OMV (the main shareholder of Petrom in Romania), information which the management of Gazprom denied, however.

This summer, opposition Austrian MP Peter Pilz told Austrian daily Kurier and Reuters, that he had information that IPIC (a shareholder of OMV) and Gazprom had had talks about the stake in OMV. He warned that the Russians' intention to acquire so many OMV shares will make Austria "Russia's backdoor to the European Union" and that a Russian attack against OMV existed.

In August, OMV CEO, Gerhard Roiss, announced that OMV would have a new policy in the area of natural gas, resulting from the restructuring of the operations on the Refining and Marketing segment (R&M).

Gerhard Roiss said that it was in Austria's political interest for a pipeline to exist that would start from Russia, cross South-Eastern Europe and reach the Baumgarten gas terminal (Austria).

When asked about what opportunities the natural gas market provided, in his opinion, Gerhard Roiss mentioned the Black Sea, The Northern Sea and Iran.

Roiss also said that he was waiting to see what is going to happen in the Southern region of Crimea where the Austrian group had certain plans together with Exxon.

Recent, information has also appeared about the fact that OMV want to sell a large number of Petrom gas stations in Romania. We don't know whether the buyers include Russian companies, but it may be this that angered Traian Băsescu.