Italy Open To Dialogue With Russia Despite EU Policies -Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte

Italy Open to Dialogue With Russia Despite EU Policies -Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte

Rome is ready to have a dialogue with Moscow, in spite of the complicated stance the European Union has on Russia, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a dinner with representatives of the Russian-Italian Civic Society Dialogue Forum

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th July, 2019) Rome is ready to have a dialogue with Moscow, in spite of the complicated stance the European Union has on Russia, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a dinner with representatives of the Russian-Italian Civic Society Dialogue Forum.

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Italy on Friday, during which he met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Pope Francis and Conte. On Thursday evening at the Villa Madama, the Italian government's official reception venue, Putin and Conte had a dinner with members of the Russian-Italian Civic Society Dialogue Forum.

"We have already said that we are in a quite complicated situation currently, especially if one looks at it through the lens of the European Union, which is now in a situation created by those violent attitudes expressed with regard to Russia. But our government remains open to the possibility of negotiations. Also, our countries' civic societies continue to maintain this dialogue with the same great enthusiasm, keeping alive that spirit of dialogue and mutual affection that has always distinguished the relations between our two peoples," Conte said, as quoted in a statement released by the Kremlin's official site.

The relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in 2014 in light of the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia. The European Union imposed economic sanctions on Russia, which responded with a food embargo on the bloc's foodstuffs. In late June, the European Union officially extended its sanctions against Russia until January 31, 2020.