Foreign Ministers of Russia And Italy to Hold Talks in Rome

In the course of the talks slated to be held in the Italian capital on Wednesday Foreign Ministers of Russia and Italy Igor Ivanov and Franco Frattini will discuss a wide range of questions of bilateral relations and interaction between Moscow and Rome in international affairs.

As it is expected, discussion of the questions relating to the forthcoming Russian-Italian contacts at a high level will be a theme of the upcoming talks.

International problems will figure prominently at the meeting. Considering the forthcoming chairmanship of Italy in the European Union in the second half of 2003, the Ministers will exchange views on ways to step up cooperation between Russia and the EU.

It is also planned to hold an exchange of opinion on regional themes, including the situation around Iraq, the Middle East settlement, and the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula and in the Balkans.

Cooperation, specifically on a bilateral basis, within the bounds of implementation of the Eight's accord on Global Partnership Against Proliferation of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction will be considered from the practical standpoint.