Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti will arrive in Moscow on Sunday on his first official visit to Russia.
During his two-day visit, which will also include a trip to the Black Sea city of Sochi, Monti will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Monti became prime minister in November 2011 following the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi from the post under market pressure in the wake of the Italian debt crisis.
Several contracts with Italian companies are expected to be signed during Monti’s talks with Medvedev.
According to the Italian TMNews press agency, Monti is also planning to meet with his country’s ambassador to Moscow, Antonio Zanardi Landi, to discuss the operation of Italian energy, transport companies and banks in Russia.
The agenda of Monti’s talks with the Russian leadership also includes international problems such as the Eurozone debt crisis, Russia’s partnership with the European Union and NATO, and the situation in Syria.
The visit comes as part of preparations for the eighth round of Russian-Italian inter-governmental consultations at the ministerial level, according to the Kremlin website.
