"Lukoil has put in the necessary request ... and we're awaiting a response," Starace said during a press briefing at a business conference in northern Italy.

Enel announced in June it had reached a deal with Russia's Lukoil and investment fund Gazprombank-Frezia to sell its 56.43% stake in Enel Russia for around 137 million euros, which will be paid at closing.

Russia put Enel's local subsidiary on a preliminary list of companies that investors from so-called unfriendly countries are banned from selling this year, unless they get special presidential permission.

Moscow later introduced a further requirement, demanding that the prospective buyer also seeks authorisation to acquire the asset.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Valentina Za; Editing by Keith Weir)