Gas: Italy knocks on all doors to no longer depend on Russia

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio during a press conference in Chisinau, Moldova on March 15, 2022. AP - Sergei Grits

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Italy, which is 90% dependent on gas imports for its needs – including 45% from Russia – is seeking to stop depending on Moscow within two years.

It has been his number one priority since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Advertisement

Read more

With our correspondent in Rome,

To put an end to Italy's dependence on Russian gas, the missions of government representatives and the boss of the Italian hydrocarbon giant, Eni, the leading foreign energy producer in Africa, are linked together.

Even if it means turning a blind eye to very degraded situations.

After Algeria

, Qatar and Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani began talks with Angola on Wednesday.

They will do the same on Thursday, with Congo.

In May, Mozambique will be the next step in this race to free itself from Russian gas...

So far, only an agreement between Eni and the Egyptian public gas company has raised a strong controversy in Italy, because Egypt rejects all responsibility for the torture and murder of doctoral student Giulio Regeni in 2016.

The supply target from these different countries is 30 billion cubic meters of gas by 2024. In the meantime, Mario Draghi has already warned the Italians: the air conditioning in public and private places will have to be lowered by one degree. this summer and adopt an equivalent measure for heating next winter.

► To read also: Mario Draghi intends to quickly reduce Italy's dependence on Russian gas

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

• Italy

• Energies

• Russia