MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi discussed energy and humanitarian cooperation in a phone call, the Kremlin press service said Wednesday.
"[Putin and Renzi] discussed relevant issues of Russian-Italian cooperation in the energy and humanitarian spheres," the press service said in a statement.
The two leaders agreed to continue contacts, according to the statement.
In June, Putin and Renzi discussed sanctions imposed by Western countries against Russia for its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. According to the Russian president, Italy, traditionally close to Russia in various fields, has lost over $1 billion due to the restrictive measures.