Russia, Italy sign packet of cooperation agreements

MOSCOW, November 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Italy signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents on Thursday, including in the nuclear sphere.

The package was signed after a regular round of Russian-Italian intergovernmental talks attended by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Russian state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom and Italy's economics ministry signed a declaration of intent which will see a working group established to design third- and fourth-generation nuclear reactors. Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko said work could start next year.

Russian car producer Sollers and Fiat agreed to launch a new Fiat model. The new model is planned to be produced by the Fiat-Sollers joint venture in the Republic of Tatarstan under a deal signed in June. Production of the first car - Fiat Linea - will start in early 2009.

Sollers already rolls out the Fiat Albea, Dolbo as well as the Ducato models.

Russia's state Technology Corporation and Italy's Pirelli closed a deal to build a tire plant in the Volga region city of Togliatti, an automotive industry center. And the corporation also signed a cooperation agreement with electronics company Finmeccanica.

Russian Railways signed agreements with Finmeccanica and Rusenergosbyt, a Russian electricity retailer, where Russian utility company ESN and Italy's Enel power supplier are major shareholders.

"The parties agreed to prepare and sign within two months a 15-year contract for Rusenergosbyt to supply electricity to Russian Railways," the railroad monopoly said.

Russia's largest independent crude producer LUKoil also signed a deal with energy company ERG to set up a joint venture.

Russia's Unified Energy System and Enel signed a memorandum of cooperation in the energy sector.

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