Putin meets with European Commission president, Romanian leader in Milan
MOSCOW. Oct 17 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a number of unplanned meetings on the sidelines of an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in Milan on Friday, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"A short meeting with Romanian President [Traian] Basescu has taken place on the summit's sidelines, at which a brief review of bilateral relations was made," Peskov said.
Putin also had a conversation with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Peskov said.
"In fact, this was perhaps their final contact before Jose Manuel Barroso would be rotated in his office," he said.
Putin and Barroso summarized the outcomes of cooperation and agreed to continue contacts in a new capacity, he said.
"The foreign minister of Australia approached Vladimir Putin to talk about details of Putin's possible presence at the G20 summit in Australia," Peskov said.
