Rome, May 10 (IANS): Italy will face short-term energy supply problems if Russia opts to cut gas sales to the country, Italian Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani has said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the City Enterprise Festival in Vicenza, Cingolani said Italy's transition away from Russia had already started, but will take time.

Like other European Union member states, Italy is seeking to reduce its dependency on Russian natural gas due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

Previously, Italy imported around 29 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia every year.

Italy has now struck deals that will replace most of those imports.

"Imports of 25 billion cubic meters of gas are ensured from 2024 onwards," Cingolani said.

The gap between previous levels of Russian imports and the new supply deals will be covered by imports of liquified natural gas, alternative energy sources, and conservation initiatives, he explained.