Italy isn't facing a problem to its supplies of natural gas from a pricing dispute between Ukraine and OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) and the country has introduced adequate measures to limit disruption, Industry Minister Claudio Scajola said Tuesday.
"Winter has been mild and our gas storage is at maximum level...We are monitoring constantly the situation and we are ready to intervene with new measures if necessary," the minister said in a statement.
There is "no problem for gas supplies," he added.
Russia is Italy's second-biggest supplier of gas.
Italy is considering the possibility of boosting gas supplies from other countries, the minister said, without elaborating.
At the start of 2006, Italy risked not having adequate gas after a drop in supply due to a dispute between Gazprom and Ukraine.
Moscow and Kiev are in dispute over the pricing of and payments for gas, and Gazprom has said it has no legal obligation to continue supplying gas to Ukraine. Gazprom says it is concerned that Ukraine may siphon off gas destined for European Union countries.
Italy, together with the rest of the E.U., is seeking to help find a solution to the Russian-Ukrainian row so that it doesn't affect other countries, Scajola said.