Putin expressed condolences over the death of the ex-President of Italy

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences over the death of former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. Address to the current President Sergio Mattarella published on the Kremlin website.

“An outstanding statesman and a true patriot of Italy has passed away. In his youth, Giorgio Napolitano courageously fought against fascism in the ranks of the Resistance, and then served his country faithfully for many years, including as president and other high government positions,” the statement says.

Putin noted that Napolitano enjoyed “the sincere respect of his compatriots and great international authority.” “I was lucky enough to communicate with this wonderful man on several occasions and I will forever preserve the fond memory of him,” the Russian leader added.

Former Italian President and Senator for Life Giorgio Napolitano died September 22 at the age of 98. He was born on June 29, 1925 in Naples, graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Naples. Frederick II and defended his dissertation on political economy.

In the 1990s, Napolitano led the lower house of Italy’s parliament, and in 2006 he became president of the republic. He became the first president in the history of the republic to be re-elected for a second term.

On June 12 this year, another Italian politician, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, died at the age of 86. Putin spoke about the long-term friendship that binds him with Berlusconi, and the ex-prime minister himself attended Putin’s birthday celebration in 2018, whom he then called “his dear friend.”