The Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, addressing members of the General Confederation of Italian Industry at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, spoke out on the EU’s relationship with Russia relationship, a prospect of a new round of sanctions on the Kremlin and the schism within the Orthodox Church.
SOT, Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of the Interior (Italian): “We got together in the hotel to talk about an absurd thing. I say it for nothing. Because when I return in Italy, some newspaper will be pleased to say that Salvini comes to Russia because the Russians pay him. I am here for nothing because I am convinced that the sanctions are madness from economic, social and cultural perspectives.”
SOT, Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of the Interior (Italian): “As always, there are sanctions and sanctions. Italy lost a share of the market while the other European countries gained a share of the market. Every reference to our French friends is obviously unintentional, involuntary. The mystery of sanctions. Someone gets penalised by sanctions, others benefit from sanctions. Ok, that is ok. No, that is not ok at all. Europe, instead of talking in a constructive manner, do not want everything right here right now. We need to cover a lot of ground when it comes to both the economic management and the relationship with Russia. Yet the sign of de-escalation, openness, dialogue is required, to sit down at the negotiating table. In 2018, the issues are solved at the table but not through tanks on borders. Despite that it seems that EU wants to get back to the past and go forward by automatically renewing sanctions without even asking an opinion by the member–states. If they ask us to enact such things, we will say politely no.”
SOT, Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of the Interior (Italian): “This week I read with dismay about the possibilities of a religious war inside the Orthodox Church between Russia and Ukraine. History shows that religious wars never bring about anything good. History shows that when political authorities subdues religious leaders for reasons which have nothing to do with faith it makes me extremely concerned. And it is incredible that nothing of that kind that God is exploited for geopolitical purposes is said in the Italian media.”
SOT, Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of the Interior (Italian): “The Russian and Italian entrepreneurs, students, businessmen who have been resisting despite everything for these years are the ambassadors of peace, they are not guided only by economic interests.”