VIENNA, June 30 — Austria’s foreign minister will not attend an Opec conference in Vienna next week, the Financial Times reported today, following the oil cartel’s decision to bar several news organisations from attending.

Opec has withheld media access to reporters from Reuters, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal to cover a meeting of oil industry CEOs with energy ministers from Opec and its allies, reporters and people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Opec has declined to comment on why reporters from the three media organisations were not invited to cover the Opec-hosted July 5-6 seminar.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, due to speak at the event, said through a spokesperson that "media freedom” including "coverage of political developments” was a "cornerstone of any democratic society” the Financial Times reported.

Schallenberg’s office said his decision not to attend was due to "scheduling” issues, and emphasised the role of press freedom, the FT report added.

Austria’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as Opec+, includes top oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Opec+ pumps more than 40 per cent of the world’s oil supply. — Reuters