MOSCOW, July 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian and Italian foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Federica Mogherini will meet in Moscow on July 9 to discuss the situation in Ukraine and cooperation between Russia and the European Union, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

“The forthcoming visit is especially important in view of Italy’s presidency of the Council of the European Union starting from July 1,” it said. “Lavrov and Mogherini will consider in detail key issues of cooperation between Russia and the European Union, including the energy sphere.”

Mogherini will leave for Moscow immediately after talks with the Ukrainian leadership.

“The ministers will discuss a whole range of problems connected with developments in Ukraine, paying special attention to cooperation in looking for ways to help parties of the conflict to end bloodshed in Ukraine’s south-east and to start a political process designed to overcome the serious internal crisis in the country.”

Lavrov and Mogherini will also discuss developments in Iraq, Syria and Lybia, Iran’s nuclear program and Russia-NATO relations. They will consider the current state of Russian-Italian ties in political, economic and cultural spheres, and exchange views on the progress of the Russia-Italy Bilateral Year of Tourism in 2014 and the Russian-Italian Civil Society Dialogue Forum.