Medvedev to hold Russia-Italy consultations and to visit Vatican.

ROME, December 3 (Itar-Tass) - President Dmitry Medvedev flew to Rome
on Wednesday evening where he will hold Russian-Italian interstate
consultations and will visit the Vatican. It is the third visit by the
Russian head of state to Italy this year.
"The main aim of the present working trip by the president to Rome is
to hold the sixth round of enlarged interstate consultations at the top
level," Itar-Tass learnt from Medvedev's aide Sergei Prikhodko. He noted
"this format of bilateral talks has been operating since April 2002 and
has become an effectively operating mechanism of cooperation, helping to
agree efficiently and to take appropriate decisions on questions of mutual
interest for the two sides.
According to the visit programme, the Russian leader will hold talks
with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday morning; then
consultations will continue in an enlarged format. A package of documents
will be signed by their results, while the leaders of the two countries
will describe results of meetings at a news conference. The president and
the premier also plan a working lunch.
Medvedev and Berlusconi are planned to award joint decorations of the
Russian president and the Italian premier for the contribution and
development of friendship and cooperation between Russia and Italy. The
decorations will be awarded this time to Russian Minister for Emergencies
Sergei Shoigu and head of the civil defence department at the Italian
government Guido Bertolaso. Alas, skills of specialists of their
departments were needed last spring in overcoming aftermaths of the
earthquake in Aquila.
Medvedev will make the first visit to the Vatican on Thursday evening,
Prikhodko reported. The Russian head of state will have an audience with
Pope Benedict XVI and will hold a meeting with Vatican secretary of state
Tarcisio Bertone.
-0-bur