"The importance of interregional cooperation is objectively growing. For example I can mention a movement of northern Italian regions — the richest, the most industrially developed Italian provinces — to lift the anti-Russian sanctions. They have directly demanded the government to abandon the anti-Russian policy, which harms both Italian business and citizens. The same signals are coming from a number of German states and the regions of other European countries," Matvienko said at a session of the Legislators’ Council, which brings together senior lawmakers from both houses of Russia's legislative body.
She added that interregional economic ties between Russia's regions and the ones in Italy and Germany, as well as in other states, had caused such situation.
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European countries, such as Italy and Germany, deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. The European Union and its allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
