Before the beginning of the meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D\'Alema.
As he opened the meeting the Russian President said that he is pleased with Russian-Italian intergovernmental contacts and expects to meet with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi before the intergovernmental consultations that will take place in Italy in 2007.
According to the President, the countries’ relations are developing in a great many fields including energy, high-tech, aviation and the space sector.