MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th June, 2023) Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did a lot to improve relations of Russia with the West and NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that the ex-Italian prime minister, who was hospitalized in Milan's San Raffaele hospital for scheduled follow-up tests for a blood condition last week, died at the age of 86.
"He was a great friend of our people. And he did a lot to develop business, friendly relations between Russia and European countries. He was the initiator of the development of relations between Russia and NATO," Putin told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
Berlusconi was a world-tier politician, the president said, noting that there are currently few such people in the international arena.
"This is a big loss not only for Italy, but also for world politics," Putin added.
