ST. PETERSBURG, June 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a moment of silence at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in memory of the late former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

"I apologize to the audience, but I would like us to honor his memory with a moment of silence," he said.

According to the head of state, Berlusconi was a very bright, active and energetic man. "I consider him, without any exaggeration, a larger-than-life personality," Putin added.