Austrian Foreign Minister Absent from OPEC Conference

The Financial Times reported today that Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will not attend the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) conference in Vienna next week, following the organization's decision to bar several media outlets from attending. The report quoted Schallenberg's office stating that the minister's decision to abstain was due to scheduling issues, emphasizing the importance of press freedom. It added, "Media freedom, which includes coverage of political developments, is a cornerstone of any democratic society."