Italy urges dialogue with Russia

Rome April 17 (IANS/AKI) There should be dialogue with Moscow including over war-torn Syria Italy s Premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Tuesday calling Russia "a great neighbour of Europe".

"Italy has been accused of being too soft on Russia but I don t accept a world view that harks back to the cliches of the Cold War or the beginning of World War II " Gentiloni told lawmakers.

"Today firmness needs to be accompanied by openness and dialogue with a great neighbour of Europe like Russia."

Russia s relations with Western nations have deteriorated over its support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria s bloody civil war its alleged intervention in 2016 in the US presidential election and Brexit purported cyberattacks against Western facilities and the alleged poisoning in the UK of a former Russian spy and his daughter in March with a deadly nerve agent.

--IANS/AKI
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