From the Berlusconi/Putin press conference last Friday:
SILVIO BERLUSCONI: ... As for the other issue, the question of Alitalia, the situation remains completely open. There are still ongoing contacts with Air France, and we do not have anything against them. And we have talked about the possibility of creating a large international group, a group of affiliated companies, which would put Alitalia on an equal footing with other carriers, in particular Air France.
And I have to say that, once negotiations with Air France are over, then we will be able to talk about how to increase international involvement in the project. We discussed with President Putin the possibility of involving Aeroflot in this international project. Aeroflot has expressed its own interest in participating, and we discussed the possibility of organising a roundtable discussion, a forum in which representatives of Aeroflot and Alitalia can sit down together and discuss possible further cooperation, and perhaps sign an agreement to establish an international group of affiliated companies.
With regard to the last part of your question, I would say that the question of European funding is secondary. The main thing is to resolve the issue on its merits and make sure Alitalia remains the principal Italian carrier, the principal instrument for ensuring tourism and tourist links to our country. As you know, Italy has about 50 per cent of the world's cultural heritage, which is the main reason our country attracts so many tourists.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: We actually discussed this issue today. Mr Berlusconi presented his ideas for resolving this problem. It is clear that he is concerned about the preservation of the largest national carrier and is thinking about national economic interests. It is a difficult situation: you need to pay off debts and make the company profitable, and you probably need to talk about the company's reorganisation. And you cannot avoid negotiations with the government or with the trade unions. The alternative proposed by Mr Berlusconi was acceptable because it called for the resumption of contacts and an exchange of views. I talked today with Aeroflot's chairman of the board: they are ready to resume contacts with their Italian counterparts. Of course we don't know what the result will be: these are business negotiations.