Astana. September 19. Kazakhstan Today - Austria is interested in exploration of new deposits and oil and gas extraction in Kazakhstan. The Minister of Economics and Labor of Austria Martin Bartenstein said on Monday, September 17, during the meeting with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan Sauat Mynbayev, the agency reports referring to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan. "Austria on behalf of OMV is interested in exploration of new deposits and oil and gas extraction in Kazakhstan and in joint work with Company KazMunaiGaz," the press release of the Energy Ministry widespread on Wednesday states. "Europe pays big attention to the regional energy policy. We have interest in the projects carried out within the limits of Baku initiative, in particular, gas pipeline Nabukko, which is one of the priority projects of the European Union," M. Bartenstein noted, having emphasized that "last year Austria imported oil in volume of 1.6 million tons from Kazakhstan."