Italy will keep striving for a natural gas price-cap in Europe to reduce the impact on families and companies of soaring energy costs amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
"The goals is to control the effects of what is already a war economy," Di Maio told reporters in Rome after a meeting with Beppe Grillo, co-founder of the grassoots 5-Star Movement to which he belongs.
"For sure, as a government we will keep up our strong support for a gas price-cap, which will lead to lower bills for families and companies and which can only happen at European level," Di Maio continued.
The Italian government will voice its support for a gas price-cap at a summit of European Union leaders in May, Di Maio said.
Uncertainty over the Ukraine crisis has exacerbated energy price volatility and is further driving up gas and electricity prices, which were already high in the months leading up to Russia's 24 February invasion.
