Russia refuses to back down on Gazprom's 'temporary' control of Italian firm

By Giovanni Legorano

ROME (AA) — Russia said Monday it would not meet a request by Italy to restore control of a Moscow-based subsidiary of Italian heating company Ariston Thermo Group, which it had earlier placed under the "temporary administration" of state natural gas giant Gazprom.

In a statement issued after envoy Alexey Paramonov was summoned to Italy's Foreign Ministry, the Russian Embassy in Rome said Moscow had provided "exhaustive explanations on the lawfulness and validity" of the decision published on Friday.

"These measures were adopted with respect to the applicable legal framework and in response to hostile actions against international law taken by the United States and other foreign countries aimed at illegally depriving Russia, its legal entities, and several individuals of their property rights and/or to limit such rights over assets located in such countries," it said.

Paramonov met with the Italian Foreign Ministry's Secretary General Riccardo Guariglia on Monday.

At the meeting, Guariglia expressed Rome's "disappointment" and asked for Paramonov to clarify Moscow's decision, the ministry said in a separate statement.

It added that the transfer had no legal grounds, noting that Ariston Thermo Rus has been operating in Russia for a years, with no link to the war in Ukraine.

Guariglia conveyed Italy's wish for Russia to "reconsider its decision," the Ministry said.

The EU had also criticized the Russian decision on Ariston, as well as a similar one on German appliance maker BSH Hausgeraete, placing both under JSC Gazprom Household Systems. Brussels said the move underscored Moscow's disregard for international norms.

"In line with its European partners, and in particular with Germany, Italy is asking the Russian Federation to withdraw the measures adopted against legitimate economic activities of foreign companies in the country," the Italian Foreign Ministry's statement said.