(Adnkronos) – The political and economic aspects of the Gulf crisis, Italian citizens and businesses in the war-hit region and the effect on energy supplies of Iran’s attacks and its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz oil conduit was the focus of talks on Friday between Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani and envoys to the region, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ambassador to Qatar has stepped up coordination with Italian companies operating there to assist them and monitor the situation of Italian employees, the statement noted.
Iran recently attacked Qatar’s Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG hub which supplies around one-fifth of the world LNG and is a supplier of Italy. State-run QatarEnergy has said its reconstruction will take several years. The attack has sent shockwaves through the global energy market and the damage is set to disrupt the world’s gas flows for years, according to analysts.
The Iranian strikes on Qatar’s facilities and other key energy sites in the Gulf came after Israel’s missile attack Iran’s South Pars – the world’s biggest has field.
In the United Arab Emirates, the Italian embassy is working with local authorities to help Italian companies “facing logistical or customs issues”, the statement said.
“Assistance for Italian nationals continues, as does the response to the serious situation in Lebanon, where the number of internally displaced persons is rising,” the statement continued. According the UN, over a million people have fled their homes.
“A flight from Italy’s overseas aid agency arrived in the country yesterday carrying 30 tonnes of essential supplies. Last week, as part of the Italian government’s commitment to crisis-hit Lebanon, Tajani announced a new package of emergency measures worth 10 million euros, the statement recalled.
