Italian President Sergio
Mattarella told Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin
Tuesday that "we need greater collaboration and coordination
against terrorism".
The first head of State to visit since the St Petersburg
terror attack, he said that "together we can fight terrorism
more effectively".
Putin told Mattarella that Italy was a "reliable partner".
Italy has been a "reliable" partner of Russia "for some time",
Putin said.
Putin recalled that trade "has simply collapsed, it has
dropped 2.5 times over".
He went on: "at the same time there are positive trends, in
the first period of this year trade grew by over 30%".
Putin also noted close ties in the fields of culture and the
monetary sphere.
Putin said in welcoming Mattarella to the Kremlin that he
hoped that relations between Italy and Russia, which are not "at
their maximum", may develop.
Speaking before a working lunch, Putin said "let's hope that
all the difficulties and misunderstandings will be overcome and
we will achieve a positive collaboration".
Syria, Libya and ties between Russia and the EU topped the
agenda of talks President Mattarella had on his official visit
to Moscow.
Mattarella met Premier Dmitry Medvedev and then President
Putin.
He is the first Western president to have talks with Putin
after the terror attack in St Petersburg and the American attack
on a Syrian air base.
The Russian-Italian friendship is "solid", and despite many
difficulties in international relations "it has remained
strong," said Mattarella after arriving in the Russian capital
and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Russian-Italian trade has fallen 2.5 times in three years,
from 54 billion euros to 20 billion, Premier Medvedev said in
talks with Mattarella earlier.
Moscow is ready to improve ties with Europe, Medvedev told
Mattarella.
"We really attach a particular significance to our relations
with Italy. These relations are good, despite the fact that
today our relations with the EU perhaps are at a quite difficult
and complicated point. But we are ready to restore the dynamic
of relations with all countries," Medvedev said.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
