WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.476 --> 00:00:10.049 Mr Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, 2 00:00:10.049 --> 00:00:13.445 We are happy to welcome Giuseppe Conte, 3 00:00:13.445 --> 00:00:17.969 who is in Russia on an official visit for the first time. 4 00:00:17.969 --> 00:00:24.705 The Prime Minister and I have had substantive and quite productive 5 00:00:24.705 --> 00:00:28.187 talks involving almost the entire range, 6 00:00:28.187 --> 00:00:32.507 the entire spectrum of Russian-Italian cooperation. 7 00:00:32.507 --> 00:00:36.576 We have also held a meeting with the heads of leading Italian companies 8 00:00:36.576 --> 00:00:38.327 that operate in the Russian market, 9 00:00:38.327 --> 00:00:47.620 and we launched the new motor plant in Chelyabinsk via videoconference. 10 00:00:47.620 --> 00:00:52.562 The interdepartmental and commercial agreements that have just been 11 00:00:52.562 --> 00:00:56.073 signed are evidence of our mutual commitment to promoting 12 00:00:56.073 --> 00:01:01.084 bilateral ties in various areas. 13 00:01:01.084 --> 00:01:03.748 In this context, I would like to stress that Italy is a very important 14 00:01:03.748 --> 00:01:11.085 economic partner, and today Mr Conte and I have focused mostly 15 00:01:11.085 --> 00:01:15.005 on cooperation in trade and investment. 16 00:01:15.005 --> 00:01:25.037 In 2017 bilateral trade grew by more than 20 percent reaching $24 17 00:01:25.037 --> 00:01:29.964 billion, with another 15 percent added in January–August of this year. 18 00:01:29.964 --> 00:01:34.642 Mutual investment is more than $7.5 billion 19 00:01:34.642 --> 00:01:40.281 and, according to the data from the first quarter of this year 20 00:01:40.281 --> 00:01:43.329 Italian investment in Russia grew more than $1 billion 21 00:01:43.329 --> 00:01:46.397 to reach $4.8 billion. 22 00:01:46.397 --> 00:01:51.791 The effective work of the Russian-Italian Council on Economic 23 00:01:51.791 --> 00:01:55.354 Cooperation and Industrial and Financial Cooperation has been widely 24 00:01:55.354 --> 00:01:57.412 helpful in reaching these figures. 25 00:01:57.412 --> 00:02:03.046 The next meeting of the Council will take place in Italy in December. 26 00:02:03.046 --> 00:02:05.976 Of course, we have had a detailed discussion of cooperation 27 00:02:05.976 --> 00:02:11.020 prospects in energy. Russia is a large supplier of natural gas to Italy 28 00:02:11.020 --> 00:02:15.469 covering 35 percent of the demand. 29 00:02:15.469 --> 00:02:18.007 In addition, our countries are carrying out a range 30 00:02:18.007 --> 00:02:20.251 of joint energy projects. 31 00:02:20.251 --> 00:02:26.094 Russian and Italian companies are developing gas fields and are 32 00:02:26.094 --> 00:02:31.846 involved in the production and supply of liquefied natural gas. 33 00:02:31.846 --> 00:02:37.348 We are studying the possibility of building main pipelines via 34 00:02:37.348 --> 00:02:40.462 the southern route to supply Russian gas to Europe. 35 00:02:40.462 --> 00:02:45.269 Italian corporations are assisting us in upgrading our 36 00:02:45.269 --> 00:02:46.507 electric power industry. 37 00:02:46.507 --> 00:02:50.256 ENEL is taking part in modernising Russian electricity 38 00:02:50.256 --> 00:02:53.756 grids and building wind farms in Russia. 39 00:02:53.756 --> 00:02:56.903 Mutually beneficial industrial cooperation is developing through 40 00:02:56.903 --> 00:02:59.615 the joint efforts of the two countries as well. 41 00:02:59.615 --> 00:03:03.971 Pirelli and Rostec – you just saw the documents being signed – 42 00:03:03.971 --> 00:03:07.981 cooperated in the technological renovation of the Kirov 43 00:03:07.981 --> 00:03:09.633 and Voronezh tyre plants. 44 00:03:09.633 --> 00:03:12.624 With the participation of our partners from Italy, 45 00:03:12.624 --> 00:03:15.975 the construction of a large ammonia manufacturing facility is nearing 46 00:03:15.975 --> 00:03:18.504 completion in Leningrad Region; 47 00:03:18.504 --> 00:03:22.490 and, the construction of the Amur Gas Processing Plant. 48 00:03:22.490 --> 00:03:27.726 Italian companies are part of infrastructure projects in Russia. 49 00:03:27.726 --> 00:03:34.039 In St Petersburg, the modern Western High-Speed Diameter Motorway 50 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:39.093 and Pulkovo Airport project are complete. 51 00:03:39.093 --> 00:03:42.872 It is important that strong cooperation is underway in the scientific 52 00:03:42.872 --> 00:03:45.502 and technical sphere. 53 00:03:45.502 --> 00:03:48.919 The Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Foundation for Basic 54 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:52.165 Research closely cooperate with Italian researchers. 55 00:03:52.165 --> 00:03:55.872 Russia's Kurchatov Institute and Italy's National Research Council are 56 00:03:55.872 --> 00:04:01.529 working together on innovative projects in thermonuclear fusion 57 00:04:01.529 --> 00:04:06.562 and on the construction of the Ignitor fusion reactor. 58 00:04:06.562 --> 00:04:09.417 Italians are also involved in a number of hi-tech projects 59 00:04:09.417 --> 00:04:12.382 at the Skolkovo Innovation Center. 60 00:04:12.382 --> 00:04:17.395 Successful cooperation can also be seen in manned space activity. 61 00:04:17.395 --> 00:04:20.595 Currently, preparations are taking place to send an Italian citizen 62 00:04:20.595 --> 00:04:24.039 to the International Space Station. 63 00:04:24.039 --> 00:04:27.966 We have agreed with the Prime Minister to take every effort to expand 64 00:04:27.966 --> 00:04:30.603 inter-regional connections. 65 00:04:30.603 --> 00:04:37.057 Russian and Italian regions are implementing over 40 joint agreements. 66 00:04:37.057 --> 00:04:41.461 Last year, Days of Moscow were held in several Italian cities. 67 00:04:41.461 --> 00:04:43.937 A presentation of the investment potential took place 68 00:04:43.937 --> 00:04:45.724 in the Kaluga Region. 69 00:04:45.724 --> 00:04:51.199 Of course, I must mention bilateral interaction in the cultural sphere. 70 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:55.948 This year, events are ongoing in Italy as part of the Russian Seasons 71 00:04:55.948 --> 00:04:58.945 festival, and they are enjoying great success, 72 00:04:58.945 --> 00:05:01.931 including tours by music groups, ballet and theatre companies, 73 00:05:01.931 --> 00:05:03.810 as well as festivals and film screenings. 74 00:05:03.810 --> 00:05:07.929 By the way, Mr Conte and I have just watched scenes from a film 75 00:05:07.929 --> 00:05:10.915 by Andrey Konchalovsky about the great sculptor and painter 76 00:05:10.915 --> 00:05:13.224 Michelangelo Buonarroti. 77 00:05:13.224 --> 00:05:17.485 This is an exceptional collaborative work by Russian and Italian 78 00:05:17.485 --> 00:05:21.250 filmmakers, which will undoubtedly spark interest not only in Russia 79 00:05:21.250 --> 00:05:25.008 but also in Italy and, I am sure, in other countries. 80 00:05:25.008 --> 00:05:32.127 Large Russian museums regularly host Italian art exhibitions. 81 00:05:32.127 --> 00:05:34.939 Currently, there is an exhibition of 18th century Venetian paintings 82 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:37.524 at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. 83 00:05:37.524 --> 00:05:41.842 We understand that Mr Conte intends to visit it. 84 00:05:41.842 --> 00:05:45.888 I would also like to mention that Italy will take part in the 7th 85 00:05:45.888 --> 00:05:49.541 St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum on November 15–17 86 00:05:49.541 --> 00:05:52.004 as a guest country. 87 00:05:52.004 --> 00:05:54.708 Reciprocal tourism is growing. 88 00:05:54.708 --> 00:05:57.952 In the first six months of the year, 89 00:05:57.952 --> 00:06:00.298 20 percent more Russians visited Italy and the number 90 00:06:00.298 --> 00:06:03.328 of Italians going to Russia is increasing. 91 00:06:03.328 --> 00:06:06.997 When we discussed current issues on the international and regional 92 00:06:06.997 --> 00:06:10.843 agendas, we said that the views of Russia and Italy on many 93 00:06:10.843 --> 00:06:13.023 matters were close. 94 00:06:13.023 --> 00:06:18.633 Russia supports Italy’s efforts topromote a Libyan settlement, 95 00:06:18.633 --> 00:06:23.385 in particular, the initiative to hold an international conference 96 00:06:23.385 --> 00:06:26.803 on Libya in Palermo on November 12–13. 97 00:06:26.803 --> 00:06:30.584 Mr Prime Minister and I discussed this in detail today. 98 00:06:30.584 --> 00:06:35.248 Unfortunately, the situation in Libya remains critical. 99 00:06:35.248 --> 00:06:39.402 It is important to prevent an escalation of the crisis and find ways 100 00:06:39.402 --> 00:06:43.156 to restore Libya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. 101 00:06:43.156 --> 00:06:46.676 We exchanged opinions on the situation in Syria. 102 00:06:46.676 --> 00:06:51.311 We informed Mr Conte of the steps Russia is taking, 103 00:06:51.311 --> 00:06:53.582 including in the Astana framework, 104 00:06:53.582 --> 00:06:59.265 to promote a political settlement and to step up inter-Syrian talks. 105 00:06:59.265 --> 00:07:02.620 We also discussed the possibility of joining the world community’s 106 00:07:02.620 --> 00:07:05.304 efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to that 107 00:07:05.304 --> 00:07:07.381 long-suffering country. 108 00:07:07.381 --> 00:07:13.312 Restoration of Syria’s economy will create favourable conditions 109 00:07:13.312 --> 00:07:17.108 for the refugees to return and in this way will reduce the migration 110 00:07:17.108 --> 00:07:20.343 load on the European countries and Syria’s neighbours. 111 00:07:20.343 --> 00:07:25.374 In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr Giuseppe Conte, 112 00:07:25.374 --> 00:07:29.650 the Italian Prime Minister, and all our Italian colleagues and friends 113 00:07:29.650 --> 00:07:32.595 for these useful and constructive talks. 114 00:07:32.595 --> 00:07:38.828 I am convinced that the agreements we reached today will contribute 115 00:07:38.828 --> 00:07:41.674 to further developing our extensive Russian-Italian cooperation. 116 00:07:41.674 --> 00:07:43.758 Thank you for your attention. 117 00:07:58.678 --> 00:08:03.876 I am truly happy to be here on my first visit to Moscow 118 00:08:03.876 --> 00:08:08.795 as the President of the Italian Council of Ministers. 119 00:08:08.795 --> 00:08:14.617 I would also like to thank President Putin for the warm welcome 120 00:08:14.617 --> 00:08:20.856 and the fruitful time we spent together. 121 00:08:20.856 --> 00:08:26.984 It was an opportunity to review the cooperation between Russia 122 00:08:26.984 --> 00:08:30.486 and Italy and improve it in culture, 123 00:08:30.486 --> 00:08:33.949 trade and the social sphere. 124 00:08:33.949 --> 00:08:39.665 It was a very positive and constructive meeting. 125 00:08:39.665 --> 00:08:46.655 Mr President and I stated a good trend in our relations 126 00:08:46.655 --> 00:08:55.014 and worked on their future prospects. 127 00:08:55.014 --> 00:08:58.717 As for the international perspective, 128 00:08:58.717 --> 00:09:02.297 we are facing a huge number of challenges for the security 129 00:09:02.297 --> 00:09:05.044 and development of Italy and Europe, 130 00:09:05.044 --> 00:09:08.906 and we believe that it is crucially important to discuss these issues 131 00:09:08.906 --> 00:09:11.724 with such a strategic partner as the Russian Federation. 132 00:09:11.724 --> 00:09:16.557 We need Russia to develop solutions to the main international crises; 133 00:09:16.557 --> 00:09:19.726 I have been saying this since the beginning of my term. 134 00:09:19.726 --> 00:09:22.750 It should be sustainable development and first of all, 135 00:09:22.750 --> 00:09:26.636 sustainable political decisions. 136 00:09:26.636 --> 00:09:31.932 I sincerely believe in Moscow’s constructive approach. 137 00:09:31.932 --> 00:09:37.522 As he already mentioned, Mr President and I touched upon 138 00:09:37.522 --> 00:09:43.798 the Libyan issue. The strengthening of the country’s institutes, 139 00:09:43.798 --> 00:09:50.467 as well as its economic and social development can only be achieved 140 00:09:50.467 --> 00:09:55.272 through an inclusive dialogue and reconciliation, 141 00:09:55.272 --> 00:10:01.156 which should be led by the UN and implemented by the Libyan 142 00:10:01.156 --> 00:10:02.922 people themselves. 143 00:10:02.922 --> 00:10:09.329 It is essential that the international community show 144 00:10:09.329 --> 00:10:13.364 solidarity and support for the UN. 145 00:10:13.364 --> 00:10:18.887 On November 12–13, Italy plans to hold a conference on Libya 146 00:10:18.887 --> 00:10:25.134 in Palermo. We invited all Libyan parties that are directly involved, 147 00:10:25.134 --> 00:10:30.521 as well as the main partners in the region and on the global stage. 148 00:10:30.521 --> 00:10:35.623 Russia’s participation is crucially important as it can ensure progress 149 00:10:35.623 --> 00:10:39.055 towards stabilisation in Libya. 150 00:10:39.055 --> 00:10:46.689 I shared my thoughts with Mr President and received his full support. 151 00:10:46.689 --> 00:10:49.469 Therefore, Moscow will make a significant contribution 152 00:10:49.469 --> 00:10:51.372 to this conference. 153 00:10:51.372 --> 00:10:59.079 We also exchanged views on the developments in Syria. 154 00:10:59.079 --> 00:11:05.232 We support the Geneva process and the actions of the United Nations 155 00:11:05.232 --> 00:11:10.571 to bring about stability and reconciliation of the parties, 156 00:11:10.571 --> 00:11:14.145 which is necessary and must be achieved through a peaceful, political, 157 00:11:14.145 --> 00:11:18.052 inclusive and sustainable solution. 158 00:11:18.052 --> 00:11:21.924 It is also necessary to involve all the main players in the region 159 00:11:21.924 --> 00:11:25.370 and the world, and Russia holds a fundamentally important 160 00:11:25.370 --> 00:11:28.215 place among them. 161 00:11:28.215 --> 00:11:37.023 We very much appreciate Moscow’s role in the demilitarisation of Idlib. 162 00:11:37.023 --> 00:11:40.777 Due to its efforts, it was possible to avoid a humanitarian crisis 163 00:11:40.777 --> 00:11:43.866 and a dangerous military escalation. 164 00:11:43.866 --> 00:11:51.001 We hope that efforts will be made to develop a long-term solution. 165 00:11:51.001 --> 00:11:54.721 We also spoke about the Ukrainian crisis, 166 00:11:54.721 --> 00:11:57.973 which remains a pivotal issue and needs to be resolved. 167 00:11:57.973 --> 00:12:01.553 This crisis has put the foundations of relations between the European 168 00:12:01.553 --> 00:12:04.157 Union and Russia into question. 169 00:12:04.157 --> 00:12:09.531 If we do not resolve this crisis, we risk losing the trust, 170 00:12:09.531 --> 00:12:14.460 cooperation and rules developed in the 25 years of our dialogue. 171 00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:21.436 Italy will facilitate this dialogue because all of Europe needs 172 00:12:21.436 --> 00:12:27.650 a security framework that all the main actors will share. 173 00:12:27.650 --> 00:12:33.127 There is no alternative to the Minsk Agreements. 174 00:12:33.127 --> 00:12:39.061 Italy fully supports the Normandy Four and the OSCE, 175 00:12:39.061 --> 00:12:44.967 in which Italy is currently presiding. 176 00:12:44.967 --> 00:12:51.496 As for the relations between Italy and Russia, 177 00:12:51.496 --> 00:12:58.026 Mr President already mentioned several issues. 178 00:12:58.026 --> 00:13:03.095 We also confirmed the excellent state of our bilateral relations. 179 00:13:03.095 --> 00:13:09.238 Despite the persisting conditions that resulted in the EU sanctions 180 00:13:09.238 --> 00:13:13.395 in this sensitive time for the global economy, 181 00:13:13.395 --> 00:13:17.970 I consider it right to maintain economic ties between Italy and Russia, 182 00:13:17.970 --> 00:13:22.833 in particular, to support the activity of numerous Italian companies 183 00:13:22.833 --> 00:13:26.972 that work in Russia in the interests of both our countries. 184 00:13:26.972 --> 00:13:33.048 In addition, I repeatedly said and want to confirm again here that 185 00:13:33.048 --> 00:13:36.948 sanctions have never been a goal for Italy; 186 00:13:36.948 --> 00:13:42.298 they are a tool that must be abandoned as soon as possible 187 00:13:42.298 --> 00:13:44.965 because dialogue is the best solution. 188 00:13:44.965 --> 00:13:48.297 Italy is a large industrial country and it should not be 189 00:13:48.297 --> 00:13:49.839 afraid of globalisation. 190 00:13:49.839 --> 00:13:54.749 On the contrary, it should be able to use the amazing 191 00:13:54.749 --> 00:13:56.632 opportunities it offers. 192 00:13:56.632 --> 00:14:00.958 Russia ranks fifth in terms of our exports, 193 00:14:00.958 --> 00:14:07.900 excluding the EU. There is a huge number of Italian companies, large, 194 00:14:07.900 --> 00:14:11.723 medium and small, operating in Russia. 195 00:14:11.723 --> 00:14:18.966 In 2017, our exports finally began to grow and in the first nine months 196 00:14:18.966 --> 00:14:25.054 of 2018, this trend persisted, so we believe that it can 197 00:14:25.054 --> 00:14:26.976 grow even further. 198 00:14:26.976 --> 00:14:31.041 Italian companies show a growing interest in the Russian market. 199 00:14:31.041 --> 00:14:37.663 The readiness to improve industrial cooperation is also proved 200 00:14:37.663 --> 00:14:44.602 by the signing of numerous agreements between Italian and Russian 201 00:14:44.602 --> 00:14:51.645 companies, which Mr President and I attended with great enthusiasm. 202 00:14:51.645 --> 00:14:56.145 In addition, we have wonderful cooperation in culture and science, 203 00:14:56.145 --> 00:15:00.034 and Mr President mentioned this as well. 204 00:15:00.034 --> 00:15:03.945 The popularity of the Italian language in Russia is huge. 205 00:15:03.945 --> 00:15:09.008 Russia has 50 schools that teach Italian. 206 00:15:09.008 --> 00:15:14.722 There are many formats of cooperation between research centres 207 00:15:14.722 --> 00:15:18.089 and universities, especially in physics and medicine, 208 00:15:18.089 --> 00:15:23.085 and I strongly hope that these relations between Italy 209 00:15:23.085 --> 00:15:25.014 and Russia will continue to develop. 210 00:15:47.554 --> 00:15:50.670 Good evening. I have two questions. 211 00:15:50.670 --> 00:15:57.079 The first is for Prime Minister Conte because you hope that Russia will 212 00:15:57.079 --> 00:16:01.174 return to the Group of 7, or to be more exact, 213 00:16:01.174 --> 00:16:04.557 it should become the Group of 8 again. 214 00:16:04.557 --> 00:16:10.699 Considering the evident very good relations between Russia and Italy, 215 00:16:10.699 --> 00:16:16.396 how much is the Italian Government prepared to oppose the tacit 216 00:16:16.396 --> 00:16:21.925 extension of economic sanctions against Russia from the European Union? 217 00:16:21.925 --> 00:16:25.289 Do you mean to impose a veto? 218 00:16:25.289 --> 00:16:28.405 And a question for President Putin, 219 00:16:28.405 --> 00:16:34.459 if I may. Considering that Russia is already treated as a principal 220 00:16:34.459 --> 00:16:40.512 actor in solving large international crises, as I far as understand, 221 00:16:40.512 --> 00:16:43.958 you have received an invitation to personally take part 222 00:16:43.958 --> 00:16:46.661 in the conference on Libya in Palermo. 223 00:16:46.661 --> 00:16:48.864 Are you going there? And specifically, 224 00:16:48.864 --> 00:16:54.013 what is Moscow’s vision of a settlement of the Libyan crisis? 225 00:16:54.013 --> 00:16:57.198 First, I will answer your question. 226 00:16:57.198 --> 00:17:03.569 It is evident that, as I said, the Ukrainian crisis is a problem that 227 00:17:03.569 --> 00:17:09.939 created a bottleneck and that slowed and even blocked a dialogue that 228 00:17:09.939 --> 00:17:17.056 had been developing for 25 years. We cannot accept this. 229 00:17:17.056 --> 00:17:23.982 We need to overcome this by all means. It has lasted too long. 230 00:17:23.982 --> 00:17:28.092 You ask about a veto. 231 00:17:28.092 --> 00:17:35.312 Italy believes that productive work means persuading our European 232 00:17:35.312 --> 00:17:39.891 partners to move in one direction. 233 00:17:39.891 --> 00:17:47.040 This is why we would prefer not to make a decision now. 234 00:17:47.040 --> 00:17:48.999 We will make it in due time. 235 00:17:48.999 --> 00:17:53.757 Italy is very ambitious, and we would like to persuade our partners 236 00:17:53.757 --> 00:17:57.570 that the best way to find a solution is through dialogue. 237 00:17:57.570 --> 00:18:05.476 Thank you for the first part of the question. 238 00:18:05.476 --> 00:18:08.373 In appreciation of this, I will do my best to answer your 239 00:18:08.373 --> 00:18:10.672 second question in detail. 240 00:18:10.672 --> 00:18:15.528 I mentioned that we support Italy’s efforts to settle 241 00:18:15.528 --> 00:18:19.934 the crisis in Libya. As you know, it was manmade, 242 00:18:19.934 --> 00:18:28.840 and not by Russia. Still, we support everything Italy is 243 00:18:28.840 --> 00:18:33.085 doing in this respect. 244 00:18:33.085 --> 00:18:40.937 I have already said and will repeat: I believe that our approach fully 245 00:18:40.937 --> 00:18:44.476 coincides with Italy’s approach, 246 00:18:44.476 --> 00:18:51.001 to the effect that ultimately the Libyan people themselves 247 00:18:51.001 --> 00:18:55.204 should solve internal Libyan problems. 248 00:18:55.204 --> 00:18:59.955 For our part, we can only provide assistance and act as guarantors. 249 00:18:59.955 --> 00:19:05.114 We hope for success at the scheduled conference in Palermo 250 00:19:05.114 --> 00:19:09.466 and at the moment I do not know if I will be able to take 251 00:19:09.466 --> 00:19:11.031 part in it personally. 252 00:19:11.031 --> 00:19:14.975 In any case, Russia will definitely be represented at a very high level. 253 00:19:16.475 --> 00:19:21.870 I have a question on the INF Treaty, 254 00:19:21.870 --> 00:19:25.064 the subject being discussed these past few days not only in our country 255 00:19:25.064 --> 00:19:27.623 and in the US, but also in Europe. 256 00:19:27.623 --> 00:19:30.783 Due to the specifics of these arms – 257 00:19:30.783 --> 00:19:34.207 intermediate and short-range missiles – 258 00:19:34.207 --> 00:19:37.032 the Europeans could become hostages to the US if Washington withdraws 259 00:19:37.032 --> 00:19:40.463 from the treaty, as my colleague said yesterday. 260 00:19:40.463 --> 00:19:44.729 It is not clear yet if Washington is withdrawing or is revising 261 00:19:44.729 --> 00:19:49.679 the format of this document, however, whatever the case, 262 00:19:49.679 --> 00:19:54.098 if Trump and his administration move beyond words, 263 00:19:54.098 --> 00:19:57.076 what steps will you take? This question is addressed to both leaders. 264 00:19:59.096 --> 00:20:03.066 This problem did not come up yesterday or even three days ago when 265 00:20:03.066 --> 00:20:05.981 the US President announced it. 266 00:20:05.981 --> 00:20:13.901 It came up earlier, and as you might have noticed, and we did notice, 267 00:20:13.901 --> 00:20:19.741 the United States Congress had already earmarked expenses for R&D 268 00:20:19.741 --> 00:20:23.009 on intermediate and short-range missiles. 269 00:20:23.009 --> 00:20:26.462 This means the decision has been taken. 270 00:20:26.462 --> 00:20:30.269 Once research and development is underway – 271 00:20:30.269 --> 00:20:35.272 and they do not do it so it can sit on the shelf and collect dust, 272 00:20:35.272 --> 00:20:38.089 it means that the next step will also be made. 273 00:20:38.089 --> 00:20:44.880 The budget was passed, the Congress approved it while a political 274 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.424 statement was made several days ago. 275 00:20:48.424 --> 00:20:54.875 Yes, indeed, there are certain questions regarding progress in missile 276 00:20:54.875 --> 00:21:01.054 technology and the limitations undertaken only by the United States 277 00:21:01.054 --> 00:21:05.506 and the Soviet Union, now the Russian Federation. 278 00:21:05.506 --> 00:21:12.204 However, what worries us is that the Anti-Ballistic Missile 279 00:21:12.204 --> 00:21:15.475 Treaty has been scrapped. 280 00:21:15.475 --> 00:21:23.654 Now we are talking about the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. 281 00:21:23.654 --> 00:21:28.848 And the future of a new START Treaty on limiting strategic 282 00:21:28.848 --> 00:21:30.456 offensive arms is unclear. 283 00:21:30.456 --> 00:21:40.032 If all that is scrapped, then nothing will remain to limit arms growth. 284 00:21:40.032 --> 00:21:43.966 The situation will then become very dangerous, 285 00:21:43.966 --> 00:21:47.557 in my view. There will be nothing left but an arms race. 286 00:21:47.557 --> 00:21:49.403 Now regarding Europe. 287 00:21:49.403 --> 00:21:52.855 Of course, the key question, if the United States withdraws from 288 00:21:52.855 --> 00:21:58.456 the INF Treaty, the main question is what will they do with 289 00:21:58.456 --> 00:22:00.443 any new missiles? 290 00:22:00.443 --> 00:22:06.167 If they deploy them in Europe, we will naturally have to respond 291 00:22:06.167 --> 00:22:11.539 symmetrically, and the European countries that agree to this, 292 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:17.615 if it goes as far as that, must realise that they will put their own 293 00:22:17.615 --> 00:22:21.034 territory at risk of a retaliatory strike. 294 00:22:21.034 --> 00:22:27.113 This is an obvious situation. We will go back to Pershings in Europe. 295 00:22:27.113 --> 00:22:32.927 I actually do not understand why Europe should be brought to such 296 00:22:32.927 --> 00:22:39.182 a high degree of risk? I see no reasons for that, but let me reiterate, 297 00:22:39.182 --> 00:22:43.235 this not our choice, we are not pursuing this. 298 00:22:43.235 --> 00:22:47.974 In answer to your question as to whether we will be able to respond – 299 00:22:47.974 --> 00:22:52.044 yes, we will, and this will happen very quickly and efficiently. 300 00:22:52.044 --> 00:22:58.152 What is the formal pretext for our partners’ withdrawal from the INF 301 00:22:58.152 --> 00:23:01.180 Treaty? Accusations that we are allegedly violating it. 302 00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:05.708 However, as usual, no evidence of this is produced, 303 00:23:05.708 --> 00:23:11.834 whereas the United States has already violated it by deploying Aegis 304 00:23:11.834 --> 00:23:12.962 anti-missile defense launchers in Romania, 305 00:23:12.962 --> 00:23:19.428 by placing them on land, on the territory. 306 00:23:19.428 --> 00:23:25.375 What have they done? The Aegis launchers can be used for offensive 307 00:23:25.375 --> 00:23:27.860 missiles, not anti-missiles. 308 00:23:27.860 --> 00:23:32.475 They only need to update the software and that’s it. 309 00:23:32.475 --> 00:23:33.983 This can be done in hours. 310 00:23:33.983 --> 00:23:36.105 We will not even be able to guess what is happening, 311 00:23:36.105 --> 00:23:37.763 we will not be able to see it from the outside. 312 00:23:37.763 --> 00:23:39.040 The US has already violated the treaty. 313 00:23:39.040 --> 00:23:43.258 How about unmanned aircraft? This is in essence also a direct 314 00:23:43.258 --> 00:23:47.952 violation. Drones are no different than intermediate and short-range 315 00:23:47.952 --> 00:23:50.994 missiles in this respect. 316 00:23:50.994 --> 00:23:57.047 This is an old trick, when nobody shouts ‘Stop thief!’ louder than 317 00:23:57.047 --> 00:23:58.885 the thieves do, but it will not work in this case. 318 00:23:58.885 --> 00:24:02.079 We are carefully analysing everything that is going on in real life. 319 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:04.037 But let me repeat, we are ready to work on this with our US partners 320 00:24:04.037 --> 00:24:05.922 without any hysterics. 321 00:24:05.922 --> 00:24:11.720 What matters is what will follow, which decision will be taken. 322 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:14.910 I hope we will be able to talk about all these issues with 323 00:24:14.910 --> 00:24:18.212 the President of the United State at least on the sidelines 324 00:24:18.212 --> 00:24:21.274 of the meetings in Paris on November 11. 325 00:24:26.094 --> 00:24:34.187 I would like to add that this is a matter of concern for Italy as well, 326 00:24:34.187 --> 00:24:40.456 since we are talking about intermediate-range missiles. 327 00:24:40.456 --> 00:24:46.862 For this reason, we cannot remain indifferent to the fact that this 328 00:24:46.862 --> 00:24:49.123 treaty may be cancelled. 329 00:24:49.123 --> 00:24:55.622 I told Mr Putin that I was very young at the time of Pershing missiles, 330 00:24:55.622 --> 00:25:00.932 and have no desire whatsoever to return to a time that we 331 00:25:00.932 --> 00:25:03.041 have managed to leave behind us. 332 00:25:03.041 --> 00:25:10.228 I will also inform President Trump during a telephone conversation that 333 00:25:10.228 --> 00:25:15.617 Italy will do everything it takes, as it usually does, 334 00:25:15.617 --> 00:25:21.366 to make sure that dialogue remains possible on this matter. 335 00:25:21.366 --> 00:25:27.858 We must focus on other cooperation opportunities and we must avoid any 336 00:25:27.858 --> 00:25:29.978 disruptions that would be a concern for everyone. 337 00:25:33.418 --> 00:25:36.737 Good afternoon. President Putin, 338 00:25:36.737 --> 00:25:44.206 what do you think about the possibility for Russia to invest in Italy’s 339 00:25:44.206 --> 00:25:55.017 government bonds, maybe using funds from the National Welfare Fund? 340 00:25:55.017 --> 00:25:58.526 And Prime Minister, a question for you. 341 00:25:58.526 --> 00:26:05.005 I would like to ask you whether there might be misgivings in Washington 342 00:26:05.005 --> 00:26:09.554 or Brussels should Russia decide to invest in Italy’s securities. 343 00:26:09.554 --> 00:26:15.194 In general, could this help stop the erosion of trust, 344 00:26:15.194 --> 00:26:21.043 improve bond spread and stop capital outflow from Italy? 345 00:26:22.023 --> 00:26:25.833 We are aware of the current controversy between the Italian Government 346 00:26:25.833 --> 00:26:29.020 and the European Commission. 347 00:26:29.020 --> 00:26:35.799 In our view, this results from a difference in approaches to choosing 348 00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:42.288 the most effective way of ensuring economic growth and performance. 349 00:26:42.288 --> 00:26:46.874 This dispute has been going on for a long time now, 350 00:26:46.874 --> 00:26:49.999 and not just between Italy and the European Commission, 351 00:26:49.999 --> 00:26:52.013 but also on the expert level too. 352 00:26:52.013 --> 00:26:57.767 What is better: fiscal relief or restrictions designed 353 00:26:57.767 --> 00:27:00.068 to suppress inflation? 354 00:27:00.068 --> 00:27:03.551 In this case, this is none of our business. 355 00:27:03.551 --> 00:27:06.979 We are not going to interfere, so I will refrain from making even 356 00:27:06.979 --> 00:27:09.076 the slightest allusion regarding this matter. 357 00:27:09.076 --> 00:27:13.013 Despite all these complicated developments, 358 00:27:13.013 --> 00:27:18.139 we are aware of the debt burden together with the other 359 00:27:18.139 --> 00:27:19.896 challenges. We are quite aware of all this. 360 00:27:19.896 --> 00:27:27.142 Nevertheless, I do believe that the Italian economy has a solid 361 00:27:27.142 --> 00:27:33.709 foundation, and overall we have trust in what the Italian 362 00:27:33.709 --> 00:27:41.068 Government is doing. We have no doubt that these matters will be 363 00:27:41.068 --> 00:27:44.998 resolved in one way or another. 364 00:27:44.998 --> 00:27:50.351 Russia does not intend to create any political limitations 365 00:27:50.351 --> 00:27:53.410 in operating its National Welfare Fund. 366 00:27:53.410 --> 00:27:58.952 Of course, we are looking for various new investment options, 367 00:27:58.952 --> 00:28:03.641 since our funds are increasing quite rapidly. 368 00:28:03.641 --> 00:28:10.171 I think that our reserves are growing by seven or eight billion dollars 369 00:28:10.171 --> 00:28:16.610 per month, and I am not even talking about the Central Bank’s currency 370 00:28:16.610 --> 00:28:20.012 reserves that have reached 460 billion dollars. 371 00:28:20.012 --> 00:28:24.618 However, this is a question for economic actors. 372 00:28:24.618 --> 00:28:30.376 Let me repeat that there are no political restrictions here. 373 00:28:30.376 --> 00:28:33.190 As for the effect, in any case, 374 00:28:33.190 --> 00:28:38.274 it is always positive when an investor shows confidence 375 00:28:38.274 --> 00:28:40.634 in sovereign bond issuers. 376 00:28:40.634 --> 00:28:46.172 Let me reiterate that we did not discuss these matters today, 377 00:28:46.172 --> 00:28:48.528 and Mr Prime Minister did not raise these questions during 378 00:28:48.528 --> 00:28:50.975 the discussions that we had today. 379 00:28:54.995 --> 00:28:59.922 I would also like to answer this question. 380 00:28:59.922 --> 00:29:09.885 This question is also relevant for me. Let me be absolutely clear. 381 00:29:09.885 --> 00:29:14.502 Asking President Putin to buy Italian bonds was not 382 00:29:14.502 --> 00:29:16.056 the purpose of my visit here. 383 00:29:16.056 --> 00:29:18.271 The Italian economy is on a stable footing, 384 00:29:18.271 --> 00:29:20.680 as Mr President has said. 385 00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:24.497 However, while this is recognised abroad, 386 00:29:24.497 --> 00:29:29.618 not everyone in Italy would agree with this assessment. 387 00:29:29.618 --> 00:29:35.577 If the Central Bank of Russia or the National Welfare Fund take 388 00:29:35.577 --> 00:29:40.511 a decision of this kind, it will mean that they view 389 00:29:40.511 --> 00:29:45.413 the investment as a good deal. This is all I have to say about it. 390 00:29:46.493 --> 00:29:48.395 Good evening. 391 00:29:48.395 --> 00:29:54.028 Since energy was discussed during the talks, as you have said, 392 00:29:54.028 --> 00:30:00.024 could you tell us whether the Nord Stream 2 project was mentioned 393 00:30:00.024 --> 00:30:05.384 considering the differences that exist in Europe regarding 394 00:30:05.384 --> 00:30:07.110 its implementation? 395 00:30:07.110 --> 00:30:10.472 And concerning the southern pipeline, 396 00:30:10.472 --> 00:30:16.922 what practical steps could be taken so that Italy receives Russian gas 397 00:30:16.922 --> 00:30:23.100 across the Black Sea and possibly joins projects to develop the gas 398 00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:28.460 transportation system in southern Europe where gas will be 399 00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:31.995 delivered via Turkish Stream? 400 00:30:35.035 --> 00:30:38.406 In this sphere, everything is possible. 401 00:30:38.406 --> 00:30:43.679 As you know, hydrocarbon exports, including both gas and oil, 402 00:30:43.679 --> 00:30:46.038 from Russia to Europe are growing. 403 00:30:46.038 --> 00:30:49.422 We are active in other sectors as well, 404 00:30:49.422 --> 00:30:52.633 including alternative energy sources. 405 00:30:52.633 --> 00:30:58.100 Italian companies are involved in projects to build wind farms, 406 00:30:58.100 --> 00:31:00.580 as well as develop Russia’s power grids into what is 407 00:31:00.580 --> 00:31:03.243 referred to as smart grids. 408 00:31:03.243 --> 00:31:09.404 This goes to say that energy cooperation between our countries covers 409 00:31:09.404 --> 00:31:12.924 a wide range of initiatives and sectors. 410 00:31:12.924 --> 00:31:18.116 As for the specific question of infrastructure development, 411 00:31:18.116 --> 00:31:21.637 we are considering all possible options, 412 00:31:21.637 --> 00:31:27.709 including connecting Italy to various branches of the Turkish Stream, 413 00:31:27.709 --> 00:31:30.526 which could go through Bulgaria, 414 00:31:30.526 --> 00:31:32.998 or even through Serbia or Hungary or Greece, 415 00:31:32.998 --> 00:31:39.540 as well as stepping up ties in the context of increasing deliveries 416 00:31:39.540 --> 00:31:44.735 through Nord Stream 2, though we did not discuss Nord 417 00:31:44.735 --> 00:31:46.660 Stream 2 at this meeting. 418 00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:53.584 Let me inform you, just to make sure that you all remember this, 419 00:31:53.584 --> 00:31:56.938 that pipelines from Baumgarten, 420 00:31:56.938 --> 00:32:02.672 where Russian gas will be delivered by Nord Stream 2, 421 00:32:02.672 --> 00:32:08.052 to Italy is a Russian-Italian joint venture. 422 00:32:08.052 --> 00:32:13.784 In this sense, Italy must be interested in the Nord Stream 2 project. 423 00:32:13.784 --> 00:32:18.852 Let me reiterate that we are looking at all possible options. 424 00:32:18.852 --> 00:32:23.099 I would like to stress once again that they are not designed to be 425 00:32:23.099 --> 00:32:26.593 detrimental to the interests of any third parties, 426 00:32:26.593 --> 00:32:29.410 and do not target Ukraine’s interests. 427 00:32:29.410 --> 00:32:32.393 The purpose of the options we are considering is to satisfy the growing 428 00:32:32.393 --> 00:32:36.877 demand of the European energy sector and economies in general 429 00:32:36.877 --> 00:32:40.051 in hydrocarbons in the near future. 430 00:32:40.051 --> 00:32:45.251 It is obvious that there is a growing demand. 431 00:32:45.251 --> 00:32:46.628 It is increasing by the year. 432 00:32:46.628 --> 00:32:53.943 This year, Gazprom will produce and deliver to its European customers 433 00:32:53.943 --> 00:32:57.287 a record-high volume of 200 bcm, 434 00:32:57.287 --> 00:33:03.975 I think. For this reason, it is natural for us to promote these 435 00:33:03.975 --> 00:33:06.711 efforts, and this is what we discussed, broadly speaking. 436 00:33:06.711 --> 00:33:12.440 Thank you. See you soon.