Italy seeks to make use of Russian technology

'Russia and Italy should collaborate more closely in the area of small business to help build a common European economic zone.' As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, this was announced by Deputy Italian Minister for Economics and Finance Mario Baldassarri.

He said that in Italy small businesses and not large businesses are the basis for economic growth and stability. 'There are about 5-6 million small businesses in Italy. Small businesses make up a huge market,' he stressed. Mr Baldassarri claimed that the number of small businesses is growing because they react faster to new, more competitive methods of production. 'Russia, in its turn, has advanced scientific intelligence and technology which could be employed in Italian enterprises,' he added.

The Italian official believes Russian-Italian relations will prove to be mutually profitable in future and Russia will be a world exporter of natural resources and energy sources. 'Russia is a very rich country and we must look for ways of working together in business,' he said.