Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah met in Rome on Thursday to discuss closer energy ties as Italy seeks to diversify supplies amid rising global fuel prices linked to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Meloni’s office said the leaders “discussed ways to further strengthen the already solid bilateral cooperation, with particular reference to economic relations and investment in the energy sector,” and reaffirmed a shared commitment to managing migration.
Libya remains Italy’s largest crude oil supplier, accounting for nearly 20% of its imports. But Libyan gas exports to Italy fell to around 1 billion cubic metres in 2025, down from 1.4 bcm the previous year. The decline is largely due to domestic demand pressures, repeated infrastructure disruptions, and political instability, which have kept the Greenstream pipeline operating well below capacity.
Italian officials have stressed the need for increased investment to boost Libyan gas production and exports. A parliamentary security committee delegation raised the issue with Dbeibah during a visit to Libya in late April.
State-controlled energy firm Eni, Italy’s leading international operator in Libya since 1959, produced about 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025. The company currently has three development projects underway, with two expected to come online in 2026.
