MOSCOW, November 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin met with longtime friend and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for informal talks in Rome on Monday, Putin’s spokesman said the following day.
Putin also met with Pope Francis earlier on Monday in a private meeting that focused on finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing civil war in Syria.
That evening, the Russian leader held closed-door talks with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
Italian media recently claimed that Putin was considering making Berlusconi his ambassador to the Vatican.
Berlusconi faces community service for committing tax fraud and having sex with an underage woman. If he were made an ambassador, he would get diplomatic immunity.
Berlusconi has not commented on the claims, Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy reported Tuesday.
Putin was expected to travel to Trieste on Tuesday to meet with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta to discuss bilateral collaboration as well as economic and international issues, including Syria.
