Russia and Italy were to sign energy deals Thursday during a one-day visit to Moscow by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a Kremlin official said.
Berlusconi was to meet President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin from 1100 GMT and then will hold talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the former president's personal residence outside Moscow.
"There are 30 documents ready for signing," including deals between Italian companies and the government on one side and top Russian oil, electricity and nuclear energy companies on the other, said Kremlin spokesman Alexei Pavlov.
The Kremlin official would not disclose details before the signing but said the agreements would include a cooperation memorandum between nuclear energy monopoly Rosatom and the Italian state.
Berlusconi and Medvedev were also to discuss Georgia and the response to the global financial crisis, Pavlov said.
"The crisis is at the top of the agenda. The crisis will get the most attention. It's the most serious problem," he said.
Trade between Russia and Italy came to $36 billion last year and was at $35.7 billion in the first eight months of this year, more than 60% higher than for the same period last year, the Kremlin said.