While war rages in Ukraine , Italy continues to seek alternative sources to Russian gas.

After Algeria, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio flew to Qatar together with Eni's CEO, Claudio Descalzi, for a two-day visit preceded by a phone call from Prime Minister Mario Draghi to Emir Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani.

"Without wasting a moment, we are intervening to strengthen our energy cooperation with other countries. We are working to increase our gas supplies in the short, medium and long term, to avoid any kind of blackmail", explained Di Maio. The exchange of views, says Palazzo Chigi, focused "on the excellent bilateral partnership, on energy collaboration and on the assessment of the crisis in Ukraine".

"We must act quickly to stem the potential economic effects of this war waged by the Russian government and protect Italian families and businesses," added Di Maio, looking at Russia's growing isolation after sanctions and the need to diversify supplies of fossil fuel, still necessary to make the Italian car work despite the promised green transition in the NRP with limits on CO2 emissions.

Qatar, the third largest producer of natural gas in the world (over 177 billion cubic meters per year), is currently the third exporter of natural gas for Italy - after Russia and Algeria - and the first of gas liquefied natural gas, for a supply of 6.9 billion cubic meters per year, equal to almost 10% of total imports, against 40% for Russian gas. Meanwhile, Algiers has already promised Rome to increase its supplies by about 2 billion cubic meters to reach 30 already "in the coming months".

Meanwhile, on Monday, Prime Minister Mario Draghi will go to Brussels to meet the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, together with the Minister of Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani, to discuss the conflict and the management of refugees, but also with the aim of a policy of short and medium term to differentiate the sources of supply.