Russian Nationalization of Italian Companies: A Stalling Block in Italian-Russian Diplomacy
The Italian government and diplomacy are currently engaged in efforts to prevent Russian control over the Italian company, Ariston. This issue arose when Moscow decided to nationalize the Italian company’s Russian branches, including Ariston and German Bosch. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring these companies temporarily to the Russian Gazprom Domestic Systems, a subsidiary of the state-owned Gazprom group that manufactures household appliances.
In response to this development, Italy summoned the Russian Federation’s ambassador in Italy to express “strong disappointment” at the decision to place Ariston Thermo Rus, a company within the Ariston Group, under temporary administration by a Gazprom group entity. The Italian government has requested that Russia reconsider this action, stating that the reasons behind it have no legal basis. Italy has also coordinated with the European Union to condemn Russia’s actions, highlighting them as violations of international law.
The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, has been in contact with the affected companies and is exploring potential responses with G7 and EU partners. Italy has called on Russia to reverse its measures against foreign companies operating in the country. Meanwhile, Adolfo Urso, Minister of Business and Made in Italy, has engaged with the leadership of Ariston Group to address the situation and work towards protecting Italian and European companies affected by similar Russian actions.
On one hand, Russia’s ambassador placed blame on the Italian authorities for escalating tensions by prioritizing “sterile and dangerous anti-Russian geopolitical adventures” over national interests. On another hand, Tajani stressed that Italy would not allow any foreign powers to interfere with its sovereignty or national economic interests. He emphasized that Italy would continue working closely with its allies within G7 and EU to defend its interests against any aggressive actions taken by Russia.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation closely while collaborating with its embassy in Moscow and permanent representation at EU level. They are also exploring new instruments within European sanctioning frameworks to prevent such retaliatory measures from occurring again in future.
In conclusion, tensions between Rome and Moscow remain high due to this incident involving foreign ownership of local companies operating within their respective borders. While both parties claim different motivations for their actions, it remains uncertain whether there will be any breakthroughs or negotiations on resolving this matter anytime soon.
