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Putin offers condolences to Italian leader on death of Italy’s ex-President Napolitano

According to Russian President, he "was lucky enough to communicate with this wonderful man on several occasions"

MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella over the passing of former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, the Kremlin reported on Saturday.

"Dear Mr. Mattarella, please accept my deepest condolences on the passing of former President of the Italian Republic Georgio Napolitano," the Kremlin quoted him as saying in a message of condolences.

"I was lucky enough to communicate with this wonderful man on several occasions and I will preserve the fond memory of him forever," the Russian leader said in his message.

Italy’s ANSA news agency reported on Friday that Napolitano died at the age of 98. His condition, which had been critical for some time in a Rome clinic, got worse recently, ANSA said.

Napolitano was Italian president between 2006 and 2015. In 2013, he became the first re-elected president in the history of the Italian Republic, however he resigned before the end of his second term at the age of 89 in January 2015.

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Vladimir Putin Italy

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