It is the latest in a series of moves by European countries to secure alternative fuel sources, as they seek to cut Russia off from the world economy as punishment for war. Italy buys about 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia, 40 percent of its total consumption. Algeria is Italy’s second largest supplier, supplying 21 billion cubic meters per year – about 31 percent of annual consumption. An Italian government official said the Mediterranean pipeline – which carries natural gas from Algeria to Italy via Tunisia – operates at only two-thirds of its 33 billion cubic meters per year capacity, giving Italy room to increase its capacity quickly. Algeria. “This could have an immediate impact – you do not need to build more pipelines or other new infrastructure,” the official said. One-third of Russian gas supplied to Italy each year could be replaced by a rapid increase in imports from Algeria, the Italian official said. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Draghi has stressed the need for Italy to urgently diversify its energy supply, especially given the risk that Russia could reciprocate EU sanctions by cutting off gas supplies to Europe. “The diversification of our energy supplies is something we must aim for regardless of what happens to Russian gas supplies in the near future,” Draghi told lawmakers last month. “We can not be so dependent on the decisions of a single country, as this endangers our freedom, not just our prosperity.” Last week, Lithuania became the first EU country to completely cut off Russian gas supplies, with the other two Baltic states also temporarily suspending its flow.

Germany has said it intends to be “virtually independent” of Russian oil by the end of this year and gas by mid-2024. Berlin recently signed a long-term agreement with Qatar to supply liquefied natural gas ( LNG), which Economy Minister Robert Habeck said would reduce his dependence on Russian supplies. EU leaders decided last month to buy bulk gas jointly from other sources. The Italian delegation headed by Draghi on Monday will include Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Roberto Cingolani, the Minister of Ecological Transition, as well as the head of Eni, the Italian energy company that has strong ties with the Algerian energy company Sonatra. . The Italian official said the deal would not only pave the way for increased gas purchases from Algeria, but would also include an agreement for greater Italian investment in renewable energy in the North African country, which could help reduce its own gas consumption, releasing more for export. Di Maio has visited many energy-producing countries in recent weeks, and Tsingolani is working on how to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources.