ROME - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi held talks at one of his villas with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday to strengthen business ties in the energy sector.
Berlusconi and Putin are old friends and have frequently visited one another at their respective residences.
Monday's talks near Milan focused on business relations, with both leaders expressing hope that trade would rebound from the economic crisis. Berlusconi said the global financial crisis had resulted in a 30 percent dip in trade between Italy and Russia.
Putin pledged to supply financing and technology to help Berlusconi reach one of his government's goals: constructing nuclear reactors in Italy to produce energy. The Italian news agency quoted the Russian as saying he was also willing to supply nuclear fuel for the plant and take away its waste for treatment.
Berlusconi predicted that "within three years, work will get going for the construction of the first nuclear reactor in Italy."
Italians voted to rejected nuclear energy plants in a referendum in 1987, following the Chernobyl accident that scared Europeans about radiation. But Berlusconi told the news conference his government would work to win over public opinion to accept nuclear reactors.
In addition to the nuclear energy research project, both leaders discussed increased cooperation between Russia's Gazprom and Italy's Eni.
The two companies cooperate in the South Stream natural gas pipeline project. The pipeline will exit Russia under the Black Sea and enter the European Union via Bulgaria to carry 63 billion cubic meters of gas a year when it comes online in 2015.
The EU is heavily dependent in Russian gas and has been attempting to diversify its supply sources. Europe supports an alternative pipeline called Nabucco, meant to reduce energy dependence on Russia.
Putin and Berlusconi's friendship goes back to the early 2000s, when Putin was president and Berlusconi was on his second stint as premier. They call each other by name and Berlusconi has often stepped in to defend Putin in the face of international concerns over the state of democracy in Russia.
Putin was the first foreign leader to visit Berlusconi after the Italian conservative won a third term in power in the 2008 elections. Then-President Putin stopped at Berlusconi's lavish villa in Sardinia for private talks just days after the election, and was treated to a performance by dancers from a popular TV show.
On Monday, Berlusconi described his relations with Putin as one marked by "respect, friendship and affection." Both leaders joked when a reporter asked a question about the secret behind happy political marriages -- such as the one between Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
"Mr. Medvedev and I are people of traditional orientation," said Putin, drawing laughter from the crowd. "I can say that to you with complete confidence, therefore regarding marriage unions -- here you are exaggerating somewhat."
However, Putin also stressed that mutual interests -- not just personal friendship between him and Berlusconi -- guided relations between their two countries.
"I am an expert in many sectors," Berlusconi quipped, "but I don't have particularly fortunate results when it comes to marriages." The Italian leader is currently separating from his second wife and is feuding with a longtime political ally.
Putin arrived in Milan Sunday on his way from Austria. He was welcomed by Berlusconi and they had a private dinner.
On Monday, the two countries also signed an agreement for Russia to donate euro7.2 million ($10 million) to help reconstruct two buildings -- a church and a palazzo -- that were damaged by last year's quake in L'Aquila.
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