OREANDA-NEWS Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has confirmed plans for the country to become energy independent from gas supplies from Russia by the end of 2024. He said this during an information message in the Senate of the Italian Parliament, according to Gazeta.ru.

He added that gas is now a "transitional fuel" on the way to renewable energy sources. In addition, agreements have now been concluded with Algeria, under which alternative and renewable energy sources will be developed, as well as transmission networks in the country.

On May 14, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reported that the price of natural gas in Bulgaria for May had risen by almost 14% because of the cessation of fuel supplies from Russia.

Prior to that, the German industrial association (BDI) calculated the losses from refusal of Russian gas - the price of "energy independence" would be a catastrophe in the German economy.