Russian Prime Minister Flies to Italy for Three-day Visit

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov flew to Italy on a three-day official visit Sunday to hold talks with his counterpart Giuliano Amato and Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini.

Officials in Moscow said Kasyanov was also scheduled to have an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.

Italy is Russia's second-largest creditor in the Paris Club of creditor nations behind Germany, with loans totalling 9.5 billion dollars.






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