St. Petersburg – “Economic sanctions against Russia have dragged the economy into a dead end and put thousands of Italian companies in stalemate. The Italo-Russian International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg is a critical bilateral restarting point, upon which may also depend the release of contracts already signed between the Russian and Italian companies for a value of €3-4 billion. The presence of the Minister of Economic Development, Federica Guidi – the one EU minister at the Forum – in our bilateral event is a positive sign that Italy assigns a fundamental role to dialogue.” Antonio Fallico, president of the Conoscere Eurasia Association and chairman of Banca Intesa Russia, commented on the eve of the opening of the International Forum of St. Petersburg (18-20 June). The bilateral to which Fallico refers is scheduled for June 19 under the title “Russia-Italy: historical ties too strong to sever”. (9Colonne)
