ROME (Sputnik) – Alfano noted the growth in Italian-Russian trade turnover, specifically, in the Italian exports, as well as the intensity of political dialogue, recalling the recent visits of Italy’s ministers, the prime minister and the president to Russia.
"We held a meeting here in the presence of dozens of businessmen who plan to invest in the Russian market. But we do not regard it as a sales market, first and foremost, we regard it in the light of investment opportunities," Alfano said in the follow-up to the meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, which he called successful.
Both Dvorkovich and Alfano participated in the presentation of the Russian investment potential in Rome earlier in the day. According to Alfano, the presentation was devoted to engagement of large business partners.
Relations between Russia and the Western states deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis, as Brussels and Washington placed the blame for the eastern Ukraine conflict on Russia and continue to refuse to recognize Crimea’s rejoining Russia as a result of the March 2014 referendum. The United States and the European Union showed their disapproval of Russia’s alleged meddling in the Ukrainian affairs by introducing several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions despite the fact that Moscow has repeatedly refuted the allegations.
