Italian lawmakers call for gas ‘pipeline of democracies’

The Foreign Affairs Committee in Italy has called on the government to work with east Mediterranean countries to assess the prospects of an EastMed gas project, while taking note of energy diversification as well as geopolitical balances in the region.

A non-binding resolution passed by the Italian Parliament is asking the government “to continue the appropriate dialogue with the countries involved in the EastMed project” as Rome seeks to “recalibrate energy supply choices.”

The resolution, filed by Deputy President Paolo Formentini, came just days after state-controlled ENI said Turkey cannot be left out of the natural gas game in the eastern Mediterranean.

It has also been noted that lawmakers called on Italian Prime Minster Georgia Meloni’s government to “pay the greatest possible attention to the integration processes taking place in the Eastern Mediterranean, a crucial region for national energy supplies and global political-strategic balances.”

The resolution also makes references to contacts between Turkey and Israel that could lead to further de-escalation between Ankara and Athens.

Nicosia has recently revised its language on EastMed gas, initially focused on an undersea pipeline to Greece, with newer statements pointing to a “virtual corridor” for LNG.

But Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou last week took issue with ENI boss Claudio Descalzi’s comments about Turkey.

Papanastasiou pointed out that other companies could move forward with Nicosia’s EastMed gas solution plans without Turkish consent.