VERONA, October 19. /TASS/. Sanctions against Moscow damage cooperation between the European Union and Russia, former Italian Prime Minister and former European Commission President Romano Prodi said at the Tenth Eurasian Economic Forum being held in the Italian city of Verona.

"I am startled by how sanctions have changed our relations and how much damage they have caused to our cooperation," Prodi said pointing out that trade between the EU and Russia had decreased by 25% since 2012.

The Tenth Eurasian Economic Forum, which involves politicians and the biggest businessmen from Russia, Italy and other countries, began in Verona on Thursday. The forum is organized by the Conoscere Eurasia Association, the Roscongress foundation and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The 2017 forum is dubbed "Greater Eurasia as a driving force in the current international geopolitical and economic context."