(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 20 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky on Monday thanked Italy for its support in the war
against Russia and reiterated that Rome could be among Kyiv's
security guarantors after the conflicts ends.
In any negotiations with Russia, he said "we need guarantors of
future security, and we think Italy should be among these
guarantors", he said in a video message to the Global Policy
Forum of Italian geopolitical think tank ISPI.
"We are grateful for the support of the Italian government".
Referring to a vote in the Italian parliament Tuesday on
providing further aid, including military aid, to Kyiv, Zelensky
said: "Please support us".
The Institute for International Political Studies - ISPI (full
official name in Italian Istituto per gli Studi di Politica
Internazionale), founded in 1934, is the oldest Italian think
tank specialised in international affairs.
Zelensky also issued a res calls for "more modern weapons" from
Italy and its Western allies.
He said it was a "decisive week" and that "the European Union
should consider us as equal partners" ahead of EU leaders
meeting this weekend to decide whether to approve of Kyiv's EU
membership bid, an application that has already been approved by
the European Commission, provided years of reforms are made.
The EU on Monday relaunched military support fro Ukraine and
reiterated that there was a grain alert that could spell famine
for much of the poorer world.
"There is a a risk of an unprecedented food crisis," Euroepan
Union official said, as grain is currently blocked in Ukraine
ports by Russian invaders.
Meanwhile as gas supplied by Russia continued to be about half
it was before the war started, the Italian government said
Monday that a threshold fro calling an alarm would be assessed
Tuesday and that Ecological Transition Minister Roberto
Cingolani would meet major energy firms Wednesday, sources said.
The price of gas continued to rise, to 126 euros per MWh.
Russian energy giant Gazprom has said it will supply only 50% of
the 63 million cubic metres of gas requested by Italy, Italian
fuels giant Eni said.
But increased gas supplies from Algeria have more than taken up
the slack, with almost double coming in from the north African
country than from Russia.
The Italian government has been working hard to end the nation's
reliance on Russian gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine,
reaching a series of agreements to boost supplies from
elsewhere.
The Italian government has "moved rapidly" to diversify
suppliers by scrambling to set up alternatives with countries
like Algeria, Angola, Congo, Libya, Egypt, Israel and
Mozambique, Premier Mario Draghi said recently.
Eni on Sunday joined the world's largest Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) project in Qatar.
The Italian fuels giant was picked by QatarEnergy as new
international partner for the expansion of the North Field East
Project in the Gulf country.
Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy Managing
Director Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi and Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi
signed a partnership accord for the creation of the new Joint
Venture.
QatarEnergy will hold a 75% interest while Eni the remaining 25%
interest. The JV will hold 12,5% interest in the entire NFE
project, including the 4 mega LNG trains with a combined
capacity of 32 MTPA. (ANSA).