Rome: Concerned about more EU sanctions ahead, Russian President Vladimir Putin flew to Rome on Wednesday and met with Italian PM Matteo Renzi and said how even Italian businesses were bearing the brunt of sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Putin's Italy visit comes just two days after G7 leaders at Germany summit agreed to maintain a tough stance on Russia and extend sanctions if Moscow continued fomenting Ukraine crisis.
In Rome, where he reached over an hour late, Putin also met Pope Francis and held a 50-minutes meeting with him and besides talking on Ukraine crisis, the two also discussed the Middle East mayhem due to the Islamic State.
Pope Francis urged Putin and other parties to the conflict in Ukraine to make a "sincere effort" for peace.
After a 50-minute meeting between the pope and Putin at the Vatican, the Vatican issued a statement which said: "The holy father stressed that there has to be an important and sincere effort to achieve peace (in Ukraine). There was agreement on the importance of rebuilding an atmosphere of dialogue and that all the parties commit to applying the Minsk (ceasefire) accords."
Pope Francis, who gave Putin a medallion depicting the angel of peace, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said. The Vatican called it "an invitation to build a world of solidarity and peace founded on justice."
In their talks about Ukraine, Lombardi said, Francis stressed the "need to commit oneself in a sincere and great effort to achieve peace." Lombardi said both men "agreed on the importance of reconstructing a climate of dialogue and that all sides commit oneself to implementing the Minsk accords."
Putin gave the pope an embroidery of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
Lombardi said the pontiff and President talked for 50 minutes about the violence in Iraq and Syria and the crisis in Ukraine.
While Francis has deplored the loss of life in Ukraine and called on all sides to respect what has proven to be a shaky cease-fire, he hasn't publicly put any blame on Russia in an apparent bid not to upset the Holy See's delicate and often thorny relations with the Orthodox Church in Russia, where Catholics are a tiny minority.
During the few minutes that Putin and Francis greeted each other and took their leave before and after their 50-minute-long closed door talks, there was no mention of any blame regarding Ukraine, although the protracted hostilities in that Eastern European nation bordering Russia was a main thrust of the discussion.
"As it was possible to predict in the context of the world situation, the talks were dedicated principally to the conflict in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East," said a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi.
As he has done with other VIP visitors, the pontiff presented Putin with a medallion depicting an "angel of peace," who, Francis told the Russian, "conquers all wars and evokes the solidarity among peoples."
Putin gave the pope a depiction, embroidered with gold filament, of a church which had been destroyed in the Soviet era and later reconstructed.
"It was a great pleasure, an honor to meet you," Putin told Francis as he took his leave.
Lombardi said Putin and Francis discussed the conflicts in the Middle East, notably in Iraq and Syria, a country where Moscow long held influence. The Vatican statement cited the "urgency" with which the international community must pursue peace efforts, "assuring at the same time the necessary conditions for the life of all components of society, including religious minorities and in particular Christians."
Ending his long day, Putin took off his dark suit jacket and got together with his old friend, ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi gave him a warm hug and two large bottles of unspecified content in an encounter at Rome's main airport, where the Russian was to board a jet to return to Moscow, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
In Milan, Renzi heaped praise on Russia, calling it a crucial player in international anti-terrorism efforts, as the Italian premier sought Putin's help in ending the conflict in Libya that has fueled the Mediterranean migrant crisis.
Renzi didn't voice any criticism against the country's actions in Ukraine, saying simply that they both agreed there must be full implementation of the Minsk peace accord.
"The Minsk agreement is the compass by which we should be guided," Renzi said. "It is our polar star." Putin for his part stressed the price Italian businesses are paying for the economic sanctions lodged by the European Union against Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine during the conflict.
Russia accuses Ukraine of failing to launch political dialogue with the rebellious east and of keeping its economic blockade of areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels. Kiev, the United States, NATO and European leaders have blamed Moscow for supplying rebels with manpower, training and weapons. Russia denies the claims.
With Agency Inputs
