In statements on Tuesday, the minister said that Italian company "Eni" is Egypt's main partner in the petroleum sector, underlining its vital role in the oil and gas industry in the country.

Over the past years, Eni notably beefed up its investments in Egypt in various domains, the minister added.

The minister and the Italian diplomat discussed progress made so far in projects by Eni company in the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Suez and the Western Desert in the field of oil and gas exploration and exploitation.

They also discussed bilateral cooperation in exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Damietta SEGAS LNG Terminal.

They reviewed activities of other Italian companies operating in Egypt through cooperation in designing, implementing and financing new projects to develop and expand oil refineries, in partnership with Technip Energies Italy S.p.A. and the Italian Export Credit Agency (SACE).

For his part, ambassador Quaroni expressed keenness of the Italian companies to beef up investments in Egypt in light of the country's strategy to become a regional energy hub.