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Russian expert says Putin’s visit to Italy demonstrated waning influence of G7

The dean of the World Politics Department at the Moscow State University says it's impossible to isolate Russia politically
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Italy EPA/ALEXEY NIKOLSKY / RIA NOVOSTI / KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Italy
© EPA/ALEXEY NIKOLSKY / RIA NOVOSTI / KREMLIN POOL

MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Several European countries are ready to cooperate with Russia despite pressure from US and its allies in western Europe, which was demonstrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s successful visit to Italy and meeting with Pope Francis, dean of the World Politics Department at the Moscow State University Andrey Kokoshin told TASS on Monday.

"It is worth noting that after G8 transformed into G7 by excluding Russia from the format, the role of this format has significantly decreased in the issues of world politics and world economy," Kokoshin stressed.

"Without the participation of such countries as Russia, China, India, Brazil and several others, it is impossible to constructively and effectively solve economic, ecological and especially political problems that the international community now faces," the expert said. "The alignment of forces in world politics and world economy reflected in particular in such formats as BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] and SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization], convincingly demonstrates the impossibility of politically isolating the Russian Federation, that the US and its allies are trying to achieve," he added.

According to Kokoshin, Putin’s last visit to Italy only confirmed the state of affairs. The Russian president rightly announced that Moscow is ready to cooperate with separate G7 countries on issues of mutual interest, and such cooperation can be built on mutually beneficial and equitable basis.

Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Italy on June 10. During his meeting with the country’s President Sergio Mattarella, the leaders of the two countries states that all sides "pay an excessively high price" for a continuing conflict in Ukraine. Putin also held talks with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and representatives of business circles of the country.

The Russian leader also held a meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican.