Rome, Oct 23 (IANS/AKI) Russia should be allowed to rejoin the G8 group of nations and international economic sanctions should be lifted against Moscow, Italy's Premier Giuseppe Conte has said.

"We need to have (Russian President Vladimir) Putin at the G8 so we can tackle and solve problems that are currently intractable because we are not all the discussion table," Conte told reporters here on Monday ahead of his visit to Moscow this week.

Conte said there were "traditional relations and major economic ties" with Russia that under Putin's leadership could be re-launched and new commercial partnerships be forged between companies.

On the issue of the sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2014 invasion of Crimea, Conte said: "Our position is clear. They are a means to end. But you don't solve problems with trade restrictions."

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