Germany and Austria have signed a deal to accelerate their work on filling their gas storage facilities “more quickly” in a bid to cement their supplies amid the energy crunch.

Signing a bilateral solidarity agreement, the two countries agreed to cooperate on the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and storage filling.

They pledged to fill up two storage facilities in Austria, both of which are already connected to the German grid.

One of them is the underground storage facility Haidach in the Austrian state of Salzburg which was allegedly left empty after the exit of Russia’s Gazprom from its German subsidiary.

Germany’s Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck said: “Germany and Austria work closely and resolutely together in the short term to increase our provision by filling the storage tanks more quickly.

“In the medium term, to ensure the security of our energy supply, over the long term by speeding up the expansion of renewable energies, saving energy and ramping up green hydrogen.”

Austria’s Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler said: “We are currently facing a major common challenge across Europe – only if we manage to free ourselves from Vladimir Putin‘s grip will there be independence and freedom for our countries.”