Russia: No need for "excessive pessimism" in Russo-Italian relations - Lavrov

There is no need for "excessive pessimism" when considering relations between Moscow and Rome, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated during a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and his national delegation in Moscow, Monday. The Russian diplomat pointed out that the two nations had built mechanisms that provided stability in bilateral trade, adding those mechanisms needed to be maximised "for the legitimate national interests of Russia and Italy." Lavrov went on to commend his Italian counterpart for Russian-based Italian businesses and his productive talks with Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich in terms of resolving issues between Rome and Moscow. The Italian Foreign Minister stated that Russia's "contribution could be significant" when coming to resolve a variety of international issues, adding that Italy was always ready to contribute to EU-Russia ties.