Tension between Italy and Russia over the nationalization of the Ariston Thermo Group. Alexei Paramonov, Russian ambassador to Italy, was received at the Farnesina by the secretary general Riccardo Guariglia. A call announced already in recent days by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Ambassador Guariglia, the Farnesina reports, “expressed the strong disappointment of the Italian Government” for the situation that has arisen. It all began on Saturday 27 April, when Moscow transferred Ariston Thermo Rus, a company belonging to the Ariston Group, into temporary administration to a company of the Gazprom group. “In line with its European partners, and in particular with Germany, Italy asks the Russian Federation to withdraw the measures adopted against legitimate economic activities of foreign companies in the country”, continues the Farnesina note. Meanwhile, the case has not shaken the stock market: the stock is rising in Piazza Affari. It gained 0.68% to 5 euros, progressively recovering over the course of the day the drop of almost 2% recorded at the opening of the session.
The request of the Italian government
In today’s meeting, the Italian government asked the Russian ambassador Paramonov for clarification on the reasons for the transfer, «which have no basis in law, especially considering that it was adopted against a company that has historical roots in country and which has no connection with the current international crisis situation.” Guariglia then invited Moscow to “reconsider the measure taken”, which was also “qualified by the Russian side as temporary”. The European Union also expressed its opinion on the matter in recent days, which through a statement harshly condemned the measure for the nationalization of the Ariston factory. «The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani has been in contact with the company from the first moment and reserves the right to investigate the consequences of the Russian decision together with the G7 and EU partners and to evaluate an appropriate response», he finally adds the Farnesina.
The Moscow accusation
At today’s meeting at the Farnesina, the Russian embassy responded in a note, Paramonov provided “exhaustive explanations on the legality and validity of the decisions taken”, reminding his interlocutors that “Moscow has always attributed particular importance to profitable and mutually beneficial relations commercial and economic relations with Italy”. After that, the Russian ambassador points the finger at the Italian government: «The responsibility for the negative consequences of their deterioration falls entirely on the Italian authorities who sacrificed real national interests to participate in sterile and dangerous anti-Russian adventures». In short, there will be no step backwards from the Kremlin on the nationalization of the Ariston plant. And the measures undertaken, specifies the note from the Russian embassy in Italy, are nothing more than a response «to the hostile actions contrary to international law undertaken by the United States of America and by the other foreign states that have joined them, sometimes to unlawfully deprive Russia, its legal entities and various natural persons of the right of ownership and/or to limit such right to property located in the territory of such States.”
Urso’s reassurances towards Merloni: «We will act with the EU to protect companies»
The Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, had a conference call with the president of Ariston Group, Paolo Merloni, and the CEO Maurizio Brusadelli, in the presence of the president of the Marche Region, Francesco Acquaroli. «Minister Urso, who had already heard from the Ariston Group summit on Saturday, illustrated the action that the Italian Government is carrying out with the European Commission regarding the development of new instruments, within the European sanctioning framework, aimed at protect Italian and European companies affected by similar acts of retaliation by the Russian Federation and to discourage the recurrence of such actions”, concludes the note.
On the cover: ANSA/FABIO CAMPANA
