OREANDA-NEWS. July 16, 2008. Trade and economic cooperation and the two countries’ work together in international affairs were the main subjects of discussion.

Discussions of international affairs focused on the two countries’ cooperation in the G8 in light of the fact that Italy will hold the group’s presidency next year. Cooperation in the UN and within the Russia-European Union partnership was also on the agenda.

The two sides exchanged views on general European security issues, including on U.S. missile defence plans in Europe and Russia’s proposal to convoke a pan-European summit to draw up a new European security treaty.

The most serious regional problems were also examined, in particular the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Kosovo, and the Iranian nuclear programme. 

Mr Medvedev noted that bilateral ties in the area of humanitarian cooperation are developing actively. The President thanked the Italian leadership on behalf of Orthodox believers in Russia for the return without compensation of a church complex, the Russian Orthodox Church Metochion in the city of Bari, scheduled to take place this year.

The talks also looked at preparations for commemorating the 100th anniversary of a humanitarian operation by the Russian Navy to rescue people in the Italian city of Messina, which was struck by an earthquake in December 1908. The disaster killed 82,000 people. According to the Russian headquarters’ information, the Russian sailors succeeded in saving more than 2,400 lives over five days of work.