Italy hopes for the restoration of the G8 format to include Russia
Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano expressed his hope that the G7 summit, which will be held on May 26-27 in the city of Taormina in Sicily, would be followed by a meeting on the highest level but already in the G8 format.
"I hope that the summit in Taormina will be the last in the G7 format, and that the next one after Taormina will be held in the G8 format with the participation of Russia. This scenario, however, depends on Moscow's constructive and cooperative approach. We believe that Russia will soon become a reliable partner again, whose constructive contribution in the international arena we had an opportunity to appreciate highly in the past," the Italian Foreign Minister said.
Alfano, who will pay a working visit to Moscow on Monday, told RIA Novosti that the importance of a dialogue with Russia on issues of mutual interest is a principle shared in both EU and NATO circles.
"We believe that this interest also exists within the G7 forum," he said.