Berlusconi in Russia, meets Putin

Putin said the he expected to hold talks Thursday with the Italian prime minister.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived Wednesday on a private visit to Russia, met by Russian counterpart and personal friend Vladimir Putin, Russian news reports said Wednesday.

Russian television showed the two prime ministers shaking hands and speaking briefly at the Saint Petersburg airport where Putin welcomed the Italian leader. The former Russian president was joined by Saint Petersburg mayor, Valentina Matvienko.

Berlusconi is on a "private visit" to Russia, but his meeting with Putin "will also have a work content" Putin's spokesman told AFP Wednesday.

Putin said the he expected to hold talks Thursday with the Italian prime minister and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan concerning an oil pipeline project known as South Stream.

- Tomorrow we will have the opportunity to talk (about South Stream), with the Turkish prime minister- Putin said.

The Russian-Italian South Stream project is seen as a rival to the EU-led Nabucco pipeline, which is intended to bring Caspian Sea gas to Europe via Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary.