OREANDA-NEWS.The Gazprom Headquarters has hosted on October 16 a working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and Vittorio Claudio Surdo, Ambassador of Italy to the Russian Federation, the Gazprom information department reported.

The parties discussed issues related to Russian gas deliveries to Italy, possibilities for cooperation development in the oil and gas sector as well as to the progress with the South Stream project execution. The parties emphasized that Gazprom would provide secure gas supply to European consumers during the forthcoming autumn-winter period.

Natural gas market of Italy is the third-largest market in Europe after Great Britain and Germany. The share of natural gas in Italia’s primary energy mix makes up more than 30 per cent. The main gas suppliers to Italy are Algeria and Russia.

Italy is the second-largest importer of Russian gas in Europe. In 2006, the Gazprom Group supplied 22.1 bcm of gas to Italy.