It is essential that Russia and EU reboot their economic relations and reestablish cultural exchange, Prodi said in an interview to Izvestia newspaper.
Italy wants to mend relations with Russia, Prodi claimed, but the possibilities are limited due to EU policy toward Russia, which is marked by what he calls numerous mistakes.
"For any European country it is not easy to be in conflict with EU official course," he said. "Italy seeks improving relations with Russia, but there are certain limits established by general EU policy. I believe that Russia should bend every effort to help EU members that aspire to repair relations."
Prodi underlined that cooperation between Russia and Europe is essential in global politics. If there is no dialogue between the parties, certain groups and nations will use this miscommunication and open doors for terrorism. He added that confronting terrorism is a primary common goal which requires joint decisions, and cooperation in this field will contribute to solving the migrant crisis.
Prodi is in Moscow on a private visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
