Europe must free itself from dependence on Russian gas, diversify its suppliers and speed up the switch to renewables, Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday.
"Europe must make itself independent of Russian gas imports as a matter of urgency," Di Maio said.
Di Maio made the remarks after talks at the foreign ministry in Rome with his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra.
Italy and other European Union countries "are working hard on a European energy strategy, which requires strong coordination, diversification of energy supplies and the transition to renewable energy sources," he said.
The EU needs to adopt measures to lower the impact on member country economies of energy price hikes fuelled by the Ukraine conflict and the massive economic sanctioned slapped on Russia as a result, Di Maio and Hoestra agreed during their talks.
