(VEE) ITALY AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA SPEAKS ON BILATERAL RELATIONS

(VELINO) Roma, 13 May - Italian ambassador in Moscow, Cesare Ragaglini, delivered a lecture on "Italy and Russia in the current European and international context". The ambassador addressed the Academic Council of the Institute of European Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Institute's director, Professor Alexey Gromyko, chaired the meeting. The Ambassador's speech emphasised the changed context of relations between Russia and the West as a result of the Ukrainian crisis, which broke out a few months after the start of the Ragaglini mission to the Federation, but also the wide spectrum of bilateral relations. Despite the unfavourable international situation, relations have nevertheless grown thanks to important channels of political dialogue, reaffirmed by the coming visit of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, the ability of Italian companies to reformulate their strategies on the Russian market and an ancient and deep cultural harmony that has always favoured the friendship between the two peoples and the two countries. The audience of academics, PhD students, members of the Institute and representatives of other universities expressed great interest in the lecture, holding a long question and answer session with the ambassador. vel
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