Italian head of government Mario Draghi, who tested positive for Covid-19, must give up a trip planned for this week to Angola and Congo as part of the search for alternative energy suppliers to Russia, his services announced on Monday.
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Mario Draghi, 74, is "
asymptomatic
", said his spokesperson.
He was due to go to Luanda on Wednesday to meet Angolan President João Lourenço, then Thursday to Brazzaville where a meeting with the Head of State Denis Sassou Nguesso was scheduled.
He will be replaced by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani.
Italy, which imports around 95% of the gas it consumes, is one of the European countries most dependent on Russian gas, which accounts for 45% of its gas imports.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the salvo of Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, the Italian government launched a vast diplomatic offensive to diversify its energy sources.
Luigi Di Maio has traveled to Algeria, Qatar, Congo, Angola and Mozambique.
Mario Draghi himself went to Algiers last week where he announced an agreement to increase Algerian gas exports to the peninsula.
Algeria, one of Italy's main trading partners, is its second gas supplier, behind Moscow.
Read alsoHow Poland wants to do without Russian oil and gas
Rome is also campaigning with its European partners for a cap on gas prices.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Sunday, Mario Draghi indicated that his proposal would be discussed at the next European Council.
“
Europe buys more than half of the gas exported by Russia.
The EU's commercial power over Moscow is a weapon to be used.
Capping gas prices would reduce the funding we provide to Russia every day
,” he said.