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Italy, Russia to sign energy deal as Putin meets Prodi
Mar 14, 2007, 11:55 GMT
Bari, Italy - Italy and Russia held a bilateral summit in the southern Italian city of Bari on Wednesday, with energy and defence deals high on the agenda of Prime Minister Romano Prodi and President Vladimir Putin.
Italy is Russia's second European Union trade partner after Germany, with trade between the two countries hitting a record 21 billion euros (28 billion dollars) and Italian exports rising by 25.7 per cent in 2006, Prodi said ahead of the meeting.
Deals expected to be signed in Bari include a protocol of cooperation involving Italy's Finmeccanica regarding the manufacture of Russia's medium-range super-jet and a memorandum of intentions on nuclear energy between the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy and Italy's Enel, Russian officials said.
Italy relies heavily on Russia for its gas needs. Enel and Russia's Gazprom are expected to finalise a deal granting Russia the right to sell gas directly to Italian consumers.
Banking and cultural deals are also expected to be signed.
Putin met Prodi over dinner on Tuesday after holding his first ever meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
The Russian president travels to Athens later on Wednesday.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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BeelzebubMar 14th, 2007 - 20:10:30
In Soviet Russia, Mafia joins YOU!!
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