ROME, September 13. /TASS/. Trade turnover between Russia and Italy in the first half of 2021 increased by 30.5% year-on-year and amounted to $12.2 bln, Russia’s ambassador to the country Sergey Razov said on Monday in an interview with Nova new agency.

"After a significant decline in trade turnover in 2020 caused by the pandemic, there has been a positive trend. In the first half of 2021, the indicators increased by 30.5% compared to the same period in 2020 and reached $12.2 bln," the diplomat said. Meanwhile, Russian exports to Italy increased by 31.1% to $6.55 bln, imports from Italy - by 29.8% to $5.64 bln.

The ambassador also expressed hope for an increase in bilateral trade in the near future and stressed that interaction between Russian and Italian businesses did not stop in 2020.