Italy-Congo deal sealed to up gas supply

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 21 - Italy and the Republic of Congo on Thursday signed an accord to increase the supply of gas from the African country to Italy as Rome looks to cut its reliance on Russian gas amid the Ukraine war.
    Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani, accompanied by the CEO of energy giant Eni, Claudio Descalzi, met Congo Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonia and Congolese Abroad, Jean-Claude Gakosso.
    The ministers then signed a declaration of intent with Congo's minister for hydrocarbons, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua.
    The fuels minister then signed an energy accord with Descalzi.
    Di Maio said it was urgent to cut Italy's dependence on Russian gas, which currently amounts to 40% of total gas supplies.
    "The partnership between Italy and Congo comes from a long way away," he said after the deal was sealed.
    "With today's stage here a very important mission for the Italian government in this region has concluded," Di Maio said referring to a similar accord with Angola reached Wednesday.
    "Russian aggression has led Italy to diversify its sources.
    "It is a top-priority objective for Italy to reduce our dependence on Russian gas.
    "We are building new accords.
    "We are aiming to mitigate energy costs for households and we have an energy security plan".
    Di Maio added that "both (Premier Mario) Draghi and Cingolani ever since the first day have been working on a cap on gas prices as a way of averting speculation: this must be a priority for the EU. It is Italy's line: we have not spoken of vetoes and we expect support for this proposal".
    Eni said the accord with Congo foresees "the acceleration and increase of gas production in Congo, firstly via the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project projected to start in 2023 and a capacity once on line of more than three million tonnes a year (over 4.5 billion cubic metres/year)".
    The energy giant said exports of LNG "will enable us to valorize the production of gas in excess of Congolese domestic demand".
    Earlier Di Maio said the EU is united in its determination to cut reliance on Russian gas amid the Ukraine war.
    In a message sent to the inauguration of the first offshore wind farm in the Mediterrenean, built by Renexia at Taranto in Puglia, Di Maio said "within the ambit of the European Union we are promoting a cohesive action aimed at emerging from our dependence on Russia".
    He said the EU was also trying to "mitigate the impact of energy market fluctuations on our economies and societies, maintaining at the same time the commitment on the objectives of the Green Deal".
    Di Maio said that "the Italian government, with the foreign ministry in the front line, promptly acted to diversify supply sources, prevent further tensions on global energy markets, boosting cooperation with strategic partners in the Mediterranean and beyond.
    "In the last few weeks I went on missions to Algeria, Qatar, Angola, Congo, Mozambique and Azerbaijan with the aim of further developing energy cooperation with current suppliers with great potential".
    Draghi was also meant to go on the Angola and Congo trip but had to pull out because he has contracted COVID-19. Nevertheless, Draghi on Wednesday conferred by phone with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço on energy cooperation to help seal the deal.
    Draghi also had a phone conversation with Congo President De' nis Sassou N'Guesso Tuesday morning and agreed on the "wide potential" for bilateral partnership, in particular in the energy sector.
    Italy currently imports around 40% of the gas it uses from Russia.
    Cingolani said in an interview with Thursday's La Stampa that Italy should be able to end its reliance on Russian gas within 18 months, having previously said it could take up to three years.
    Italy recently signed an important agreement to increase the 31% of gas it gets from Algeria too. (ANSA).