Energy Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani said that Italy aimed to rapidly cut more than half its Russian gas import and to be independent of Russian supplies within two or three years. However, "in an emergency period, one can fix a maximum price above which European operators cannot buy," he warned, adding that the move was needed to prevent Russia's Gazprom profiting from surging energy prices. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio flew to Qatar on Saturday for two days of talks on boosting energy cooperation as Rome stepped up efforts in order to secure new gas supplies in light of the Ukraine crisis.