Italy–Russia relations

Italy–Russia relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between the two countries, Italy and Russia. Russia has an embassy in Rome and consulates in Genoa, Milan and Palermo, and Italy has an embassy in Moscow, a consulate in Saint Petersburg, honorary consulates in Ekaterinburg and Kaliningrad, and embassy branches in Samara and Volgograd.

Russia enjoys close relations with Italy. In 2006, Russia and Italy have signed a protocol of cooperation for fighting crime and defending civil liberties. There are close commercial ties between the two countries. Italy is Russia's second important commercial partner in the EU, after Germany. and its state-owned energy company, ENI, has recently signed a very important long-term contract with Gazprom, to import Russian gas into Italy. The relationship between Russia and Italy goes back a long way. Already in the 1960s, Italy's FIAT built a car-assembling plant in the Soviet city of Togliattigrad (a city named after the Italian Communist Party's secretary Palmiro Togliatti). Russians have always visited Italy in great numbers. Many Russian students come to Italy each year to study arts and music.Fact|date=February 2008 Unlike many other Western European countries, Italy has traditionally always maintained good relationships with Russia, even during the Soviet era.Fact|date=February 2008 In particular, the Berlusconi Government (2001-2006) strengthened Italy's ties with Russia, due to his personal friendship with President Putin. Cooperation extends also to the aviation sector, between Italy's Alenia and Russia's Sukhov, who are jointly developing a new aircraft. Finally, for a long time Italy had the largest communist party in the Western world, with over 2 million members. [ [http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2006/01/20/71472.html Italy, Russia sign 'protocol of cooperation' - Pravda.Ru ] ] .

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