Italy's position in relation to China and Russia stands the same as the European Union's, despite rumors of the contrary, and the European country continues to be a strong US ally, Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi said
ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2019) Italy's position in relation to China and Russia stands the same as the European Union's, despite rumors of the contrary, and the European country continues to be a strong US ally, Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi said.Italy and Russia have been in the spotlight recently over allegations published by the US BuzzFeed News website a couple of weeks ago that Italy's deputy prime minister and leader of the right-wing Lega party, Matteo Salvini, had met with unnamed Russians to discuss a scheme to funnel tens of millions of Dollars of oil money to his party.
"Italy's position on Russia and China does not differ from the [official] position of the European Union," Milanesi told the Italian Il Sole 24 Ore news outlet.
The foreign minister added that Italy remained a convicted ally of the United States and that Rome prioritized security over trade and economic interests.
Rome and Moscow enjoy friendly relations as Italy is Russia's second most important commercial EU partner, after Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Rome in early July and met with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella. After the meeting, Putin hailed "an absolute consensus" between Italian political forces on the need to develop good relations with Russia.
