Allegro, ma non troppo
Italy’s Economic Relations with Russia
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Italy sees itself as one of Russia’s strategic partners in the European Union. Rome campaigns for the intensive integration of Moscow in Brussels’s orbit. Trade dominates Italy’s relations with Russian when it comes to bilateral ties. Aside from a brief slump after the financial and economic crisis, since 2000 trade volume has grown continually, albeit moderately. Italy imports primarily raw materials and exports machines, food products, and consumer goods. Among non-EU countries, Russia is Italy’s third largest economic partner, after the United States and China. Nonetheless small and mid-size companies – the backbone of Italy’s economy – often feel abandoned in the Italian government’s business dealings with Russia.
(Osteuropa 10/2010, pp. 101–151)