The President congratulated Mr Berlusconi on his appointment as Italy’s head of government.
During the first conversation Mr Putin and Mr Berlusconi discussed the prospects for the development of Russian-Italian relations. Both parties expressed their commitment to building up the political dialogue and all-round bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders exchanged views on the forthcoming G8 summit in Genoa, where the Russian President and the Italian Prime Minister intend to continue the dialogue on major issues of bilateral relations.