Latest Articles about Austria
Chechen Diaspora Suffers as West Seeks Common Ground With Moscow on Fighting Terrorism
Against the backdrop of Western sanctions against Russia, European countries are increasingly trying to defend their cooperation with Moscow by saying it is vital for their efforts to combat international terrorism. Chechens, who are scattered across Europe, often become targets of such cooperation. The Chechen... MORE
Alleged Mastermind of Istanbul Airport Bombing: Who is Akhmed Chataev?
A Note from Jamestown: As Turkish law enforcement officials work to determine who is responsible for this week’s Istanbul airport attack, international news media has focused their attention on one man, Akhmed Chataev. While Turkish media was first to finger Chataev as the one responsible... MORE
Russia’s New Energy Accords: Are They for Real?
Given the centrality of energy to the Russian economy and the withering impact of continuing low energy prices and sanctions, Russia has ample reason to promote energy deals with anyone it can find. The annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has historically served as a... MORE
Austria’s Rising Star in Islamic State: A Portrait of Viennese Muhammad Mahmoud
Europe is belatedly waking up to the fact that its immigrant community is producing Islamic militants. While the popular image is one of covert, stealthy activity, nine years ago Austrian jihadist Muhammad Mahmoud fronted a poorly attended press conference in Vienna to espouse his views.... MORE
South Stream: Bypassing Ukraine and Dividing the EU
While Washington and Brussels are imposing more sanctions against Russia for destabilizing eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin is retaliating by deepening divisions within the European Union through the prospective South Stream natural gas pipeline. On April 17, the European parliament adopted a resolution stating that the... MORE
Nabucco-West Selected for Caspian Gas Delivery to Central Europe
On June 28, the Shah Deniz gas producers’ consortium in Azerbaijan announced that it has selected the Nabucco-West pipeline project to be the route for Caspian gas into Central Europe. This decision is an immediate consequence of the Azerbaijan-Turkey inter-governmental agreement, signed on June 26,... MORE
Ukraine Sells Fixed-Line Operator to Austrian Investment Company
On March 11, the government privatization agency State Property Fund (SPF) signed documents selling 92.8 percent of the fixed-line operator Ukrtelecom shares to ESU, the Ukrainian daughter of the Austrian company EPIC (European Privatization and Investment Corporation). This is the biggest privatization deal since 2005,... MORE
Southern Gas Corridor Risks Loss Of Strategic Focus
“Achieving the objectives of the Southern Corridor,” in the European Commission’s phrase (EurActiv, February 19), implies commitment to its strategic purpose. This is to supply countries along the Nabucco project’s route, from Bulgaria to Austria and Germany, with Caspian gas, thus reducing those countries’ dependence... MORE
Gazprom-Austrian OMV Agreement: A Political Blow To Nabucco
After selling a large block of shares in Hungarian MOL to the Kremlin-connected Surgutneftegaz, Austrian OMV CEO Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer’s final gift to European energy security is an agreement with Gazprom that interferes with the EU-backed Nabucco project. On February 21 in Moscow, Gazprom CEO Aleksei... MORE
Austrian OMV Helped Russian Surgut Launch Takeover Attempt Against Hungarian MOL
Two parallel court proceedings in Vienna have confirmed that Austrian OMV and Russian Surgut Neftegaz had coordinated their hostile takeover attempts against Hungarian MOL. The Austrian and the Russian company were targeting MOL’s oil-refining business, which is recognized as the most efficient in Central Europe.... MORE