OREANDA-NEWS. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in an interview with Die Presse called the US sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline unacceptable. Thus, the Austrian Minister reaffirmed the position of Vienna in relation to this gas project, in which the Austrian oil and gas company OMV takes part.

"We reject extraterritorial sanctions. This is unacceptable", the minister said, speaking about the impact of US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The leadership of Austria, including the Chancellor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has repeatedly stated its strong support from the very beginning of the Nord Stream 2 project, indicating that the pipeline will be able to diversify gas supplies and become the basis for energy security in Europe.

The US Congress Senate previously approved a bill on the defense budget for fiscal year 2020, which obliges the administration to impose sanctions on the Russian gas pipelines Nord Stream-2 and Turkish Stream. On December 11, the House of Representatives voted for the document. On December 20, 2019, it was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, and it took effect.