Official website of the President of Russia

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Vladimir Putin: Dear colleagues, dear friends!

I am very glad to welcome you to Moscow; this time we are meeting in Moscow.

I know that your company has been working in Russia ever since the 1960s. And I very much count on the fact that what has been done and what will be done in the future will help develop our states' relations especially since, as far as I know, the Italian state owns over 50 percent of your company's shares.

I must point out that as of late, very positive changes have taken place in our countries' relations. The volume of trade grew by two and a half times over the last four years. You and your Russian partners are in a very good position to contribute to the next stages of our relations' development. Diversifying your company's activities will enable it to work in very different fields, fields such as the space sector, aviation, communications and transport. As far as I know, you are also taking part in the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) project. And as I have already mentioned, there are interesting prospects in the fields of railway transport and communications.

Prime Minister Berlusconi and I have always paid a great deal of attention to first and foremost developing our economic ties. He has personally done a great deal to develop Russian-Italian ties over the past few years. I would like to use this occasion to ask that you give him my very best wishes.