Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini met his counterpart Vladimir Kolokoltsev and the deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council in Moscow. The contents of the ongoing negotiations are summarized in the statements by Matteo Salvini, "it will be necessary to convince the European partners through dialogue, but without excluding the exercise of the veto, on the damage of the extension of sanctions to Russia, which cost Italy" a average of 7 million euros per day ". Mutual investments must be strengthened, cooperation promoted in the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, including with the participation of Moscow in missions in North Africa.
Matteo Salvini also said at a press conference that Italy will be able to "convince" its partners "with numbers", but "will not be afraid to say no, which others have not said" about the extension of sanctions in Moscow. “We do not start by announcing vetoes, which may be the final solution. "We want to convince with good manners, with the art of democracy, numbers and evidence, we will do everything to avoid having to say no, which in any case do not scare us", continued Salvini, according to whom this approach of Italy in Brussels must also be applied to other dossiers, such as the European budget, agricultural policy and migrants.
Salvini also announced that Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will be in Russia on October 24, preceded by a visit by Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi. I hope, said Deputy Prime Minister Salvini, that "an economic dossier full of names of Italian companies ready to invest in Russia and Russian companies ready to collaborate in the growth of the Italian economy" will be prepared in time.
The Minister of the Interior, at the basis of the negotiations, also made it possible to develop greater cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism and the danger of the return of foreign fighters.
"In this regard, it is necessary to have common date banks to limit risks", Salvini reported and asked, therefore, "support to Russian friends for missions in North Africa, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and on the southern front".