Russia is more than an economic partner, it is also and above all a “key political partner” for Italy which, in Minister Frattini’s view, “paved the way for stronger relations between Europe and the Russian Federation”. Italy has also succeeded in bringing Washington and Moscow closer, with the 2002 agreement at Pratica di Mare preparing the ground for the creation of the NATO-Russia Council. These significant conditions reflect a “model partnership” between Italy and Russia and go hand-in-hand with a series of important meetings such as the Italian-Russia Dialogue Forum and the 6th Inter-Governmental Summit. The Summit was preceded by the first Italian-Russian Media Forum organised by the MFA at the end of November 2009.
Russia is the world’s leading producer of gas and, since this year, of oil. But its relationship with Italy is based on more than the energy trade. It is also a strategic partnership on the delicate dossier of a new security architecture, because “effective multilateralism based on the United Nations – our guiding foreign policy principle – cannot be achieved without Russia’s full inclusion and involvement in decision-making processes”.
An in-depth dialogue is under way between the two countries on key international policy issues: from the European security architecture to NATO-Russia relations, from the Middle East and central-Asian scenarios to the Balkans and the Caucasus. Also on the table is the decisive question of the EU-Russia partnership, which Italy would like to see in place by June 2010. The aim here would be to create a true and diversified Europe-Russia space that over time would include the abolition of visa regimes.
Italy has always felt that there are no alternatives to cooperation with Russia. The inter-government summit was preceded by the EU-Russia summit in Stockholm on 18-19 November, an event deemed essentially positive. The Rome Summit takes place between international events focusing on security and disarmament, shortly after the OSCE Ministerial in Athens (1-2 December) and just before the NATO Ministerial (3-4 December). By 5 December, the date the 1991 Start-1 agreement expires, Russia and the United States have undertaken to conclude a new agreement on strategic arms reduction. Italy is following these events closely in the framework of a new commitment for dialogue between the West and Russia and the new US policy.
At the bilateral level, Italian-Russian relations are well-established. The Inter-Governmental Summit, now in its 6th year, is held in an “enlarged” format with the participation not just of heads of government and foreign ministers, but of other ministers too. Over 10 agreements are to be signed (in sectors that include education, justice, energy, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure-transport and the space agency), as well as numerous industrial and commercial agreements.
A strong partnership already exists between Italy and Russia in the energy field (South Stream, ENI, ENEL, with potential collaboration in the nuclear field also). Italy is one of Russia’s leading trade partners and is present in all the major sectors of the Russian economy, while the presence of Russian businesses in Italy is also growing. Over 500 Italian companies have a permanent presence in Russia, in high-technology sectors and in the telecommunications, automobiles, and banking sectors. The two countries engage in a regular, positive economic dialogue through the Council for Economic, Industrial and Financial Cooperation.