Russian and Italian political and business leaders signed accords strengthening their economic ties last week, including deals for building an airliner and for developing nuclear power projects and a railroad system, the Associated Press reported.
The talks, in which, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Prime Minister Romano Prodi of italy took part, were held in Adriatic port of Bari.
“This is the best proof of the strategic partnership between Italy and Russia,” Prodi said during a news conference with Putin.
The Italian power supplier Enel said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s nuclear energy agency, Rosatom, on developing electricity and nuclear power projects in Russia and in Central and Eastern Europe.
Other agreements included one between Italy’s defense company, Finmecanica, and Russian railroads to develop a regional train along the Black Sea coast joining the cities of Tuapse and Adler. Another accord involved the joint construction and marketing of a medium-range civilian plane known as the “Superjet100”.
Italy is the third-largest commercial trading partner, after Germany and China, with Russian-Italian trade in 2006 totaling more than EUR21 billion.
(The Associated Press, 15/03/2007)