MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. The current sanctions should not be seen as an obstacle for investing in the Russian economy, Italian Ambassador to Russia Cesare Maria Ragaglini said on Friday.
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"Italy believes that Russia is an important country at the global level," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel. "Sanctions, both Europe’s and Russia’s, should not be used as a pretext or an alibi not to invest in Russia."
The Italian diplomat noted that the sanctions cover a very tiny area of possible cooperation.
"Ninety percent of our industrial cooperation offers possibilities for investments," he said, adding that a number of agreements between Russian and Italian companies are expected to be signed during the forthcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. "There are agreements, which have been prepared for a long time and which can be signed," he noted.