Italian Industry Minister Claudio Scajola said on Friday here Italy has asked Russia to increase gas supplies as the country suffered supply shortfalls.

"I asked (Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor) Khristenko to help increase gas deliveries to Italy irrespective of contractual terms," Scajola was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying after a meeting with Khristenko.

Scajola asked Khristenko to "pay close attention to fulfilling all contractual obligations to supply gas to Italy."

Italy has reported drops in its gas supply from Russia over the past week, when Russia was gripped by a record cold snap.

Russia is taking all measures to fulfill gas giant Gazprom's obligations to supply gas to Italy, Khristenko said, adding the gas deficit to Europe resulted from Ukraine's excessive consumption of gas.

Gazprom provides about half the gas consumed in the European Union and 80 percent of that amount is sent through pipelines that cross Ukraine.

Ukraine said the extra gas it was taking had been agreed. Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy said on Friday supplies to Europe have increased after Ukraine cut down on its own gas consumption, Interfax reported.

Source: Xinhua