Austria to import gas from Germany, Italy after halting of Russian gas supplies

Austria says it plans to import natural gas from Germany and Italy to mitigate the impact of the halting of Russian gas through Ukraine, but rising energy prices remain a concern.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said Wednesday that it had stopped gas supplies transiting through Ukraine due to the expiration of key agreements and the lack of renewal by the Ukrainian side.

Gazprom said Ukraine had repeatedly and unequivocally refused to extend these agreements, leaving the Russian company without the technical and legal means to continue the gas transit through Ukraine.

Austria is one of the European countries directly affected by the end of the supply, and while the Austrian government has sought to give assurances that gas shortages will be avoided through additional imports from Germany and Italy, many believe that higher gas prices are inevitable.

The Austrian Gas Grid Management AG (AGGM) confirmed on Wednesday that gas deliveries through the affected pipeline network have ceased, but stressed that Austria's energy sector had been prepared, and that domestic gas supplies will remain secure.

However, experts from the Energie-Control Austria (E-Control), the Austrian regulatory authority for the electricity and gas markets, forecast a short-term rise of three to ten euros per megawatt-hour (MWh) for natural gas.

Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung (WZ) has also reported that while gas prices are unlikely to soar as they did when the Russia-Ukraine crisis erupted in 2022, even a 10 percent increase would represent a significant financial burden for households and businesses, which could further pressure inflation.

The supplies of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory stopped on January 1 at 08:00 Moscow time, Gazprom said Wednesday in a statement.

Ukraine's Ministry of Energy reported that the transit of Russian natural gas through its gas transmission system was stopped at 07:00 Kyiv time Wednesday. The decision was made in the interest of national security, the ministry said, noting that Ukraine had informed its international partners about the move in the prescribed manner.

Austria to import gas from Germany, Italy after halting of Russian gas supplies

Austria to import gas from Germany, Italy after halting of Russian gas supplies

Austria to import gas from Germany, Italy after halting of Russian gas supplies

Austria to import gas from Germany, Italy after halting of Russian gas supplies

China on Wednesday launched a national summer holiday cultural and tourism consumption campaign, with more than 450 million yuan (about 66 million U.S. dollars) worth of consumer vouchers to be distributed.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the campaign aims to improve the supply of seasonal tourism products and services and encourage people to enjoy travel during the summer holidays.

Running from early July to late August, the campaign is expected to feature more than 30,000 activities nationwide, catering to popular travel demands, such as summer getaways, coastal vacations, night tourism, cruise trips and study tours.

The ministry, along with other relevant agencies, will put a series of support measures in place, ranging from travel information guides to preferential financial policies.

A launching event was held in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province on Wednesday.

This campaign comes as China has set a target of significantly enhancing people's access to and satisfaction with tourism by 2030, according to a new five-year tourism development plan issued on Tuesday.

China to issue 450 mln yuan in consumer vouchers for summer holidays