Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi was due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea port of Sochi Tuesday for talks on bilateral cooperation and regional and international issues, The Associated Press reported. Prodi's visit _ his third to Russia since becoming premier in May _ was likely to include discussions on Russia's role as Europe's dominant energy supplier. «The forthcoming visit is the logical continuation of the active political dialogue that has been established by the leaders of the two countries,» a Kremlin official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$30 billion (¤23 billion) last year, the official said.
