Berlusconi holds talks with Putin
RUSSIA; Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived
Wednesday on a private visit to Russia, met by Russian counterpart and
personal friend Vladimir Putin, Russian news reports said Wednesday.
Russian television showed the two Prime Ministers shaking hands and
speaking briefly at the Saint Petersburg Airport where Putin welcomed
the Italian leader. The former Russian President was joined by Saint
Petersburg Mayor, Valentin Matvienko.
Berlusconi is on a “private visit” to Russia, but his meeting with
Putin “will also have a work content” Putin’s spokesman told AFP
Wednesday. Putin said that he expects to hold talks Thursday with the
Italian Prime Minister and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan
concerning an oil pipeline project known as South Stream. “Tomorrow we
will have the opportunity to talk (about South Stream), with the Turkish
Prime Minister,” Putin said.
The Russian-Italian South Stream project is seen as a rival to the EU-led
Nabucco pipeline, which is intended to bring Caspian Sea gas to Europe
via Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary. Moscow, Thursday, AFP
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