Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday during a visit expected to bring progress on plans for a natural gas pipeline to Europe.
Plans for Prodi's brief visit included signing an agreement reached earlier this year by Russian monopoly OAO Gazprom and Italy's Eni SpA to consider construction of a gas pipeline beneath the Black Sea, according to the Kremlin.
The South Stream pipeline would run under the sea from Russia to Bulgaria, and from there could split off to the north or south -or in both directions. Officials have said its capacity could be about 30 billion cubic meters a year.
Russia, which has had bruising disputes with the former Soviet republics Ukraine and Belarus, key transit countries for its gas deliveries, is seeking alternate export routes. European nations are hungry for Russian gas exports despite concerns about over-reliance on the energy giant.
Welcoming Prodi in the Kremlin, Putin said the volume of trade between Russia and Italy this year would likely exceed last year's record high of some US$30 billion. "The volume of cooperation is such we always have something to talk about," he said.
Prodi said Russia and Italy were "increasingly integrated." The two countries are "developing a policy of long-term friendship" based on "mutual understanding, cooperation and shared spiritual values," he said.